Qfyt  Htbrarp 

of  foe 

®mber$tt  pof  Jgcrtf)  Carolina 


Collection  of  Jlortfj  Carolinians 
C35£ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00030739988 


This  book  may  be  kept  out  one  month  unless  a  recall 
notice  is  sent  to  you.  It  must  be  brought  to  the  North 
Carolina  Collection  (in  Wilson  Library)  for  renewal. 


Form  No.  A-369 


History 

of 

Qatawba  Qollege 


By 

Rev.  Jacob  Calvin  Leonard,  D.  D. 


Formerly  Located  at  Newton, 
Now  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina. 


Copyright  1927 

by  the 

Trustees  of  Catawba  College. 


DEDICATION 

To  the  men  and  women  whose  high  aspirations 
prompted  the  founding  of  Catawba  College,  and  to 
those  who  built  well  the  superstructure,  this  history  is 
affectionately  dedicated. 


(5) 
J 


PREFACE 

At  the  request  of  the  President  of  Catawba  College 
and  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  institution  the  au- 
thor undertook  to  write  this  sketch  for  the  seventy- 
fifth  anniversary,  the  school  having  now  been  in  exist- 
ence three  quarters  of  a  century.  The  facts  recorded 
in  this  book  have  been  gathered  from  many  sources. 
The  author  desires  to  make  due  acknowledgment  of 
indebtedness  to  many  people  for  valuable  assistance 
in  the  preparation  of  this  volume.  It  is  impossible  to 
give  the  names  of  all  who  so  cheerfully  responded  to 
the  request  for  help.  Among  those  whose  help  has 
been  outstanding  are  the  following:  Presidents 
George  A.  Snyder,  John  F.  Buchheit,  James  D.  Andrew, 
Abram  D.  Wolfinger,  Elmer  R.  Hoke ;  Professors  Rus- 
sell Whitener,  A.  C.  Sherrill;  Mrs.  Sue  Lantz  Foil. 
Many  books  and  periodicals  have  been  consulted  and 
freely  drawn  upon  for  historical  facts.  The  author 
desires  to  express  his  sincere  gratitude  to  the  many 
who  have  given  generous  assistance,  and  he  hopes 
that  this  book  may  help  some  future  historian  to  write 
the  story  of  Catawba  College  fully. 

J.  C.  L. 
Lexington,  North  Carolina. 


(7) 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Chapter  Page 

I.     Prior  to  the  Founding  of  the  College .  13 

II.     The  Founding  of  the  New  Institution  and  its  Char- 
ter      20 

III.  Education  in  North  Carolina  Prior  to  1860  52 

IV.  Early  Administrations 62 

V.  The  Great  President — Dr.  Clapp   80 

VI.     Dr.   Clapp's   Great  Coworker — Dr.    Foil    109 

VII.     The  Development  of  the  College  and  the  Classis  ....  125 

VIII.     Struggles  During  and  Following  the  Civil  War  ......  142 

IX.     The  Administration   of  President  Mebane    155 

X.     The  Administration  of  President  Snyder    161 

XI.     The  Administration  of  President  Buchheit  175 

XII.     Catawba  College  in  Relation  to  Claremont  College  .  187 

XIII.  The  Administration   of  President  Andrew 208 

XIV.  The  Administration  of  President  Wolftnger    212 

XV.     Relocation  at  Salisbury 231 

XVI.     The  Dawning  op  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College   . .  .  239 

XVII.  The  First  Year  of  the  New  Catawba  College 274 

XVIII.  Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future   298 

Appendix  A.     Graduates  of  the  College  at  Npwton   335 

Appendix  B.     By-Laws  of  Catawba  College  340 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

(Numbers  do  not  indicate  the  exact  order  in  which  they  are  to 
appear  in  the  book). 

0.  Main  Building,  old  college Frontispiece 

1.  St.    Mathew's   Arbor    25 

2.  Judge  M.  L.  McCorkle    33 

3.  Seal  of  the  College  46 

4.  Dr.  Welker;   Rev.  Ingold;   Rev.  Lantz.     Three  men  on  one 

page 29 

5.  Dr.   H.   H.    Smith 41 

6.  Professor's  House  and  Matron's  Hall   37 

7.  Main  Building   93 

8.  Rev.    A.    S.    Vaughan,    President    75 

9.  President   Clapp    81 

9a.  Dr.  Clapp's  House    105 

10.  Colonel    H.    A.   Forney;    Hon.    A.   A.    Shuford;    Rev.    J.   L. 

Murphy,  D.  D.,  Three  men  on  one  page  101 

11.  Rev.  J.  H.  Foil,  Ph.  D Ill 

11a.  Dr.  Foil's  House   115 

12.  Rev.  G.   G.  Gurley;    Prof.  W.  H.   Thompson.     Two   Profes- 

sors.     One    page 85 

13.  First    Graduating    Class,    M.    A.    Foil,    M.    D.,    Rev.    J.    C. 

Leonard,  D.  D.,  Rev.  J.  M.  L.  Lyerly,  Ph.  D.  Three  men  on 
one  page 89 

14.  President    Mebane    157 

15.  President  Snyder 163 

16.  Grace  Reformed    Church,   Newton,    and    the   College   Audi- 

torium.   Two  cuts  on  one  page  131 

17.  Matron's    Hall 181 

18.  The  Library 185 

19.  The  Philomathean  Hall 97 

20.  The  Athenaean  Hall 119 

21.  History  Classroom 127 

22.  President's   Office    137 

23.  President   Buchheit    177 

24.  Dean  Charles  E.  Wehler   167 

25.  Dean  W.  R.  Weaver  171 

26.  President    Andrew     209 

11 


12  Catawba  College 

27.  President  Wolfinger   215 

28.  Main  Building,    Salisbury    223 

29.  Administration    Building     233 

30.  Main  Entrance.     Administration  Building  243 

31.  South    Hall.      Faculty   Apartments    255 

32.  Zartman  Hall   283 

33.  Gymnasium 287 

34.  The  President's  House    291 

35.  The    Library    299 

36.  Social  Room.     Zartman  Hall   305 

37.  The  College  Bus  309 

38.  Biology  Laboratory    313 

39.  Sophomores 317 

40.  A  Class  in  History 325 

41.  The    Baseball    Team    321 

42.  President  Hoke 259 

43.  Mr.  J.  T.  Hedrick  269 

44.  Bean  Shuford  Peeler 251 


CHAPTER  I. 

Prior  to  the  Founding  of  the  College. 

THE  SEVERAL  REFORMED  CHURCHES  now 
in  existence  in  North  Carolina  owe  the  fact  to  the 
unselfish  labors  and  sacrifices  of  a  few  consecrat- 
ed Christian  ministers  of  the  early  years.  Their  names 
are  cherished  among  us  today:  Rev.  Christian  Theus, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Martin,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dupert,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Schwum,  Rev.  Samuel  Suther,  Rev.  John  Wm. 
Pythan,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Schneider,  Rev.  Samuel  Weyberg, 
Rev.  John  Jacob  Larose,  Rev.  Jacob  Christman.  But 
Rev.  Andrew  Loretz  was  the  outstanding  man  of  these 
early  ministers.  With  a  zeal  that  shunned  no  labor 
or  privation,  he  gave  himself  to  the  work  of  visiting 
and  preserving  the  churches  in  this  State  and  in  South 
Carolina.  He  was  an  only  son  born  in  1761  in  the  city 
of  Chur  (Coire),  on  the  Rhine,  in  the  Canton  of 
Graubiinden  (Grisons)  in  Switzerland.  Little  is  known 
of  his  early  history.  He  received  a  liberal  education 
at  Kaufbeuren,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Bavaria,  where  he 
was  still  in  May,  1779.  He  completed  a  thorough  theo- 
logical course  at  the  age  of  twenty-two.  About  this 
time  he  was  solicited  by  Rev.  John  Jacob  Kessler, 
Deputy  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  to  come  over  to 
America  and  preach  the  Gospel.  Accordingly  in  1784 
he  set  sail  for  America,  and  his  passport  is  dated  from 

(13) 


14  Catawba  College 

Chur  (where  still  reside  those  of  his  name),  bearing 
the  signature  of  the  Burgermeister  of  that  city.  On 
the  seventeenth  of  August,  1784,  after  a  voyage  of 
three  months,  accompanied  by  his  father  and  also  by 
Rev.  Bernhard  F.  Willy  and  Rev.  Paul  Peter  Pernisius, 
he  landed  in  Baltimore,  eager  to  extend  the  field  of  his 
holy  calling  in  this  new  wilderness. 

Rev.  Mr.  Kessler  writes  to  Rev.  Mr.  Weyberg  recom- 
mending especially  Revs.  Messrs.  Loretz  and  Willy  to 
the  Reverend  Coetus,  "hoping  that  good  charges  may 
be  furnished  them ;  and  if  possible,  we  hope  they  will 
not  be  located  far  apart,  so  that,  being  in  a  strange 
land,  they  may  have  fellowship  with  one  another. 
Furthermore,  we  wish  for  their  safe  arrival  among  you, 
by  God's  blessing,  and  for  their  extensive  usefulness 
in  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  in  Pennsylvania." 

After  remaining  a  little  more  than  one  year  in 
Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,  the  greater  part  of  which 
time  was  spent  in  ministering  to  churches  in  and  near 
Meyerstown,  Pennsylvania,  he  removed  to  North  Caro- 
lina in  1786.  He  came  not  alone,  for  in  Baltimore  he 
had  met  and  married  a  Mrs.  Schaeffer  of  that  place 
(formerly  Miss  Lehman,  of  Hagerstown,  Maryland) 
who  bravely  consented  to  share  his  long  journey 
through  the  wilderness,  and  who  became  a  most  de- 
voted helpmeet  through  all  his  arduous  labors.  Why 
he  wended  his  course  hither  is  not  known;  perhaps 
the  fame  of  this  earthly  paradise,  that  drew  thither  so 
many  from  Pennsylvania,  may  have  seemed  to  open 
up  an  opportunity  of  doing  good. 

Rev.  Mr.  Loretz  located  his  home  four  miles  due 
northwest  of  Lincolnton,  Lincoln  County,  on  a  large 


Prior  to  the  Founding  of  the  College       15 

tract  of  land  which  he  bought  for  fourteen  pounds 
North  Carolina  Currency  from  Jacob  Shuford  on  the 
third  day  of  July,  1792.  Upon  this  land,  in  sight  of 
Daniel's  Church,  in  1793  he  built  a  handsome  house  two 
stories  in  height,  28  by  36  feet,  with  solid  brick  walls 
18  inches  thick.  The  bricks  on  the  surface  show  alter- 
nating colors :  next  to  each  red  brick,  laid  lengthwise 
appears  a  blue  brick,  laid  endwise.  On  the  eastern 
gable  near  the  top  are  the  initials  and  figures  A.  L. 
1793,  formed  of  blue  bricks,  the  mean  length  of  the 
characters  being  about  two  feet.  In  addition  to  the 
initials  and  figures  on  the  eastern  end  are  two  large 
hearts  with  a  cross  between.  Near  the  top  of  the  west- 
ern end  is  a  representation  of  the  setting  sun — a  white 
plastered  circle  about  15  inches  in  diameter,  with 
brick  radiating  around  the  circumference.  When  new 
this  house  must  have  been  a  beautiful  structure.  It 
does  not  betray  its  age  even  now  after  the  lapse  of  more 
than  one  hundred  and  thirty  years,  and  has  every  ap- 
pearance of  lasting  for  at  least  a  century  more.  The  eli- 
gible site,  the  substantial  walls,  the  interior  arrange- 
ment of  this  now  historic  structure  indicate  that  Rev. 
Mr.  Loretz  was  a  man  who  possessed  considerable  taste 
and  judgment  for  those  pioneer  days. 

His  neighbor  and  associate  in  the  ministry  of  Dan- 
iel's Lutheran  Church  at  that  time  was  Rev.  Johann 
Gottfried  Arndt.  They  were  fast  friends  and  were 
often  seen  walking  together  arm  in  arm  and  even  ar- 
ranged that  whoever  died  first  should  be  buried  by 
the  survivor.  Rev.  Arndt  was  the  first  to  die,  and  was 
buried  beneath  the  old  "Dutch  Meeting  House"  in  Lin- 
colnton. 


16  Catawba  College 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Loretz  became  a  typical  Southerner 
of  the  patrician  class ;  he  owned  slaves  and  fine  horses. 
Until  the  end  of  his  life  he  labored  faithfully  in  the 
Holy  Cause,  seeming  to  have  no  object  in  view  but  to 
do  his  Master's  bidding.  Besides  ministering  to  his 
own  people,  he  made  frequent  visits  to  Rowan  and  Guil- 
ford Counties  and  to  Lexington  District,  South  Caro- 
lina, in  three,  four  or  six  months  as  the  exigencies  of 
such  a  life  determined,  for  the  purpose  of  catechizing, 
preaching,  baptizing  the  children,  to  administer  the 
Lord's  Supper  and  to  perform  all  the  offices  that  are 
included  in  a  pastor's  work.  He  was  greatly  beloved 
in  all  the  churches  and  his  visits  were  looked  forward 
to  with  anticipations  of  great  enjoyment.  He  was  of 
the  most  genial  disposition  and  abounded  in  pleasant- 
ries, so  that  he  soon  made  himself  at  home  wherever 
he  went,  and  could  enter  into  the  wants  and  interests 
of  the  people  to  whose  service  he  had  devoted  his  life. 
For  these  almost  Herculean  labors  he  was  providential- 
ly endowed  with  great  powers  of  physical  endurance. 

He  was  an  educated  man  of  commanding  genius, 
endowed  with  fine  abilities,  and  used  the  German  lan- 
guage with  great  fluency  and  power,  while  he  was  also 
an  excellent  French  scholar  and  able  to  use  the  Latin 
freely.  He  was  famous  as  an  orator  wherever  he 
preached.  On  the  death  of  Washington  he  delivered 
an  address  at  Lincolnton  suitable  to  the  occasion;  this 
oration  was  brilliant,  pathetic,  chaste  and  appropriate, 
and  was  highly  commended  by  the  press  of  the  day 
as  one  of  the  greatest  efforts  ever  made  in  that  region. 
The  address  was  published  in  pamphlet  form.     Mem- 


Prior  to  the  Founding  of  the  College       17 

bers  of  his  churches  spoke  in  glowing  terms  of  his 
fascinating  eloquence,  comparing  him  to  a  living  foun- 
tain whence  a  torrent  of  words  streamed  forth  almost 
spontaneously.  He  had  gathered  for  that  age  and  a 
new  country  quite  a  fine  library  of  valuable  theologi- 
cal works,  which  however  after  his  death  was  sold  in 
an  unappreciative  community  for  a  trifle,  scattered, 
and  so  lost.  He  is  still  remembered  as  having  been  a 
man  of  prayer.  Those  who  knew  him  in  the  Loretz 
family  circle  and  at  the  sick-bed,  in  the  house  of 
mourning,  yet  speak  of  his  tenderness  and  of  the  unc- 
tion of  his  prayers  as  most  thrilling  and  comforting. 
It  was  his  custom  to  have  worship  with  the  families 
with  whom  he  visited  on  his  out-lying  trips,  and  those 
who  remembered  him  testified  that  his  equal  in  prayer 
they  had  not  heard  since  that  day. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  his  pastoral  labors  extended 
over  a  region  of  country  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
in  extent,  and  that  too  in  an  age  when  roads  were  of- 
ten next  to  impassable,  and  traveling  exceedingly  dif- 
ficult and  even  dangerous,  all  his  long  journeys,  from 
Haw  River  in  North  Carolina  to  the  Saluda  in  South 
Carolina,  were  made  on  horseback.  He  was  an  excel- 
lent horseman,  and  it  is  well  known  that  he  always 
kept  two  black  saddle  horses  for  use  on  his  long  and 
wearisome  rides.  He  is  known  to  have  ridden  often 
seventy-five  miles  to  meet  an  appointment.  He  was 
deeply  versed  in  Scripture.  On  one  occasion  there 
being  no  Bible  in  the  church  in  which  he  was  to  preach 
he  was  at  no  loss  for  his  text  and  references. 

He  showed  a  great  fondness  for  dress,  as  his  polished 
silver  knee  buckles,  silk  stockings  and  spotless  linen 


18  Catawba  College 

bore  witness.  An  anecdote  is  told  of  him,  that  in  one 
of  his  congregations  an  economic  old  German  once 
complained  that  the  parson's  salary  was  much  too 
large,  as  it  admitted  of  a  display  of  dress  which  he 
deemed  unnecessary  in  a  minister,  when  the  clergy- 
man quietly  remarked  that  the  money  came  not  from 
his  congregation  but  from  South  Carolina,  showing 
that  his  tedious  rides  to  that  distant  section  were 
deemed  well  worthy  of  liberal  compensation.  The  Rev. 
Andrew  Loretz  was  noted  for  strict  accuracy  and 
method  in  keeping  his  church  registers  of  baptisms, 
confirmations,  etc. 

His  extensive  labors  and  his  frequent  exposures  cut 
off  his  grand  life  too  soon  for  the  churches,  for  he 
died  at  his  home  at  the  early  age  of  fifty-one  years. 
It  was  on  a  quiet  Sunday  evening,  March  31,  1812, 
after  having  spent  the  morning  in  preaching  to  his 
congregation  at  St.  Paul's,  riding  fifteen  miles  home 
to  die  that  evening,  as  he  had  predicted  he  would.  He 
left  a  wife  and  seven  young  children.  Among  bis 
children  were  three  sons  whom  he  fondly  hoped  to 
rear  and  educate  for  the  higher  walks  of  life.  One 
of  these  sons  represented  Lincoln  County  in  the  House 
of  Commons  for  three  successive  terms.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Loretz's  wife  survived  him  twenty  years.  There 
being  no  other  minister  of  the  Reformed  Church  west 
of  the  Catawba  River  at  that  time,  his  funeral  sermon 
was  preached  in  Daniel's  Church,  Lincoln  County,  by 
Rev.  Paul  Henkel,  a  Lutheran  minister.  His  grave  is 
not  far  from  the  entrance  of  the  graveyard,  and  is 
marked  by  a  plain  stone,  with  the  record  of  his  death 
and  age,  followed  by  the  sublime  words  of  Paul  which 


Prior  to  the  Founding  of  the  College       19 

are  found  in  2d  Timothy  4:7,  8,  and  closing  with  the 
following  poetic  verses: 

"Here  rests  the  Lord's  apostle  in  the  dust, 

Till  time's  last  wheel  shall  turn,  and  stop,  and 
break ; 

Then  shall  he  rise  and  live  among  the  just, 

And  with  his  flock,  the  joys  of  heaven  partake." 

In  the  month  of  January,  1905,  Mrs.  Caroline  R. 
Cochran  (nee  Motz) ,  of  Commonwealth  Avenue,  Bos- 
ton, Mass.,  a  granddaughter  of  the  Rev.  Andrew  Lo- 
retz,  presented  the  congregation  with  a  beautiful 
bronze  tablet,  22  by  24  inches  in  size.  It  is  secured 
to  the  wall  with  bronze  screws,  directly  behind  and 
above  the  pulpit.    The  following  is  the  inscription : 

In  Memory  of  the 
Reverend  Andrew  Loretz, 
Born  in  Chur,  Switzerland, 

1761. 

Died  in  Lincoln  Co.,  North 

Carolina,  March  31,  1812. 

Founder  and  Pastor  of  this 

Church  from  1786  until  1812. 

I  have  fought  a  good  fight, 
I  have  finished  my  course, 
I  have  kept  the  faith. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  tablet  is  a  beautiful  design  of 
intertwined  leaves  of  the  palm  and  olive. 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  Founding  of  the  New  Institution;  Its  Charter. 

EDUCATION  has  always  been  a  subject  fraught 
with  interest  to  the  Reformed  people  in  North 
Carolina.  The  Classis  has  given  to  this  subject 
consideration  equal  to  the  attention  given  to  the  great 
subject  of  missions.  As  early  as  the  fourth  annual 
meeting  at  Grace  Reformed  Church,  Catawba  County, 
in  1834,  a  movement  was  inaugurated  to  foster  edu- 
cation, particularly  the  education  of  young  men  for 
the  Gospel  ministry.  We  give  herewith  the  record 
in  the  minute  book  of  Classis : 

"Classis  again  met  at  half  past  one  o'clock  P.  M.  and 
formed  itself  into  an  interlocutory  meeting  for  thirty 
minutes.  The  subject  of  forming  an  Education  So- 
ciety was  taken  into  consideration,  when  on  motion 
the  following  resolution  was  adopted :  Resolved,  That 
the  members  of  this  Classis  form  an  Education  So- 
ciety and  auxiliaries  within  its  bounds.  On  motion  the 
following  persons  were  appointed  a  committee  to  draft 
a  Constitution  to  be  presented  for  adoption,  viz.,  Rev. 
John  H.  Crawford,  Rev.  Wm.  C.  Bennet,  Mr.  John 
C.  Barnhardt  and  Mr.  John  Coulter  .  .  .  The  Com- 
mittee on  Education  reported  the  outlines  of  a  Con- 
stitution for  an  Education  Society.  The  Classis  was 
again  resolved  into  an  interlocutory  meeting,  when 
said  Constitution  was  examined  article  by  article  and 
adopted  and  is  as  follows: 

(20) 


Founding  of  New  Institution;  Its  Charter    21 

I.  This  Society  shall  be  called  the  Education  So- 
ciety of  the  North  Carolina  Classis  of  the  German  Re- 
formed Church;  the  object  of  which  shall  be  to  aid  in 
the  education  of  indigent  and  pious  young  men  with- 
in the  bounds  of  this  Classis  for  the  Gospel  ministry. 

II.  The  officers  of  this  Society  shall  be  a  President, 
a  Secretary,  a  Treasurer  and  five  Managers,  who  shall 
be  elected  annually,  and  who  shall  constitute  a  Board 
of  Education  to  carry  its  objects  into  effect. 

III.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  President  to  pre- 
side, to  keep  order  and  to  give  the  casting  vote;  and 
in  case  of  his  absence,  the  senior  vice  president,  or 
in  case  of  the  absence  of  both,  the  junior  vice  president, 
shall  occupy  the  chair. 

IV.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Secretary  to  keep 
a  faithful  record  of  all  the  proceedings,  and  to  con- 
duct all  the  correspendence  of  the  Society. 

V.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Treasurer  safely  to 
keep  all  the  funds  of  the  Society;  and  to  make  no  re- 
mittances without  an  order  from  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion. He  shall  also  give  bond,  with  approved  security, 
for  all  the  Society's  money  in  his  hands. 

VI.  Any  person  paying  two  dollars  annually  shall 
be  a  member  of  this  Society.  Any  person  paying 
twenty  dollars  at  one  time  shall  oe  a  member  for  life. 

VII.  Local  Societies  within  the  bounds  of  this  Clas- 
sis may  become  auxiliary  by  transmitting  their  funds 
to  the  Treasurer  of  this  Society  annually;  unless  they 
shall  themselves  individually  be  able  to  support  at 
least  one  Beneficiary;  they  shall  in  that  case  only  be 
required  to  report  to  the  Secretary  without  paying 
anything  into  the  treasury,  and  shall  have  power  to 


22  Catawba  College 

appropriate  their  funds  to  the  benefit  of  their  own 
beneficiaries  as  they  may  deem  most  advisable. 

VIII.  The  Board  of  Education  shall  from  time  to 
time,  as  they  shall  deem  most  practicable,  select  poor 
and  pious  young  men,  belonging  to  the  churches  with- 
in the  bounds  of  this  Classis,  who  feel  themselves 
called  to  and  are  desirous  of  entering  the  Christian 
ministry,  and  aid  them  in  receiving  an  education  pre- 
paratory to  this  sacred  office. 

IX.  The  Beneficiaries  of  the  Society  shall  be  under 
the  complete  direction  and  guardianship  of  the  Board 
of  Education,  who  shall  make  all  contracts  for  their 
support,  and  in  no  case  shall  the  young  men  receive 
money  into  their  own  hands  to  be  disposed  of  at  their 
own  discretion. 

X.  No  Beneficiary  shall  receive  pecuniary  aid  from 
the  Society  as  an  exclusive  gift;  but  on  the  contrary 
it  shall  be  considered  as  a  loan  with  provisions  as  fol- 
lows: 1.  He  shall  pledge  himself  to  enter  the  min- 
istry in  the  German  Reformed  Church.  2.  He  shall 
give  approved  bonds  for  all  the  money  applied  to  his 
use  by  the  Board  of  Education.  3.  He  shall  refund 
all  the  money  expended  for  his  benefit,  with  interest 
from  the  date  of  its  expenditure,  if  he  at  any  time 
during  his  studies  shall  change  his  mind  and  turn  his 
attention  to  some  other  profession  or  pursuit  or  attach 
himself  to  some  other  church.  4.  If  he  shall  enter 
the  ministry  of  the  German  Reformed  Church  he  shall, 
if  able,  refund  all  the  money  applied  to  his  use  by  the 
Board  without  interest  within  the  term  of  four  years 
from  the  date  of  his  licensure.  5.  If  any  part  or  the 
whole  of  the  money  shall  remain  unpaid  at  the  expira- 


Founding  of  New  Institution;  Its  Charter   23 

tion  of  the  term  of  four  years,  he  shall  from  that  time 
be  required  to  pay  interest.  6.  If  through  the  provi- 
dence of  God  he  shall  be  prevented  from  entering-  the 
ministry  by  disease  or  death,  or  if  in  the  course  of  the 
same  providence  he  shall  always  remain  poor  after 
entering  the  ministry,  he  or  friends  shall  never  be 
called  upon  either  for  the  principal  or  interest. 

XL  Five  members  of  the  Board  of  Education  shall 
constitute  a  quorum  to  transact  business  at  any  of  the 
meetings  of  the  Society,  or  of  the  Board  regularly 
called. 

XII.  The  annual  meetings  of  the  Society  shall  be 
held  on  Saturday  previous  to  the  second  Sabbath  in 
May  at  the  place  where  Classis  meets,  when  a  sermon 
appropriate  to  the  occasion  shall  be  preached. 

XIII.  This  Constitution  can  only  be  altered  at  an 
annual  meeting  by  a  majority  of  two-thirds  of  the 
members  present. 

Rev.  John  G.  Fritchey,  President;  Rev.  John  H. 
Crawford,  Senior  Vice  President;  Rev.  Wm.  C.  Ben- 
net,  Junior  Vice  President;  Rev.  Wm.  C.  Rankin,  Sec- 
retary; Daniel  Conrad,  Treasurer;  Maj.  Jacob  Berrier, 
Jacob  Leonard,  Col.  John  Hoke,  John  C.  Barnhardt, 
Col.  Daniel  Clapp,  Managers." 

The  Education  Society  had  an  eventful  history  of 
several  years  and  accomplished  a  great  deal  of  good. 
It  never  had  at  its  command  any  very  large  sums  of 
money.  More  money  was  raised  in  the  "Centenary 
Year/'  1841,  and  the  three  succeeding  years  than  dur- 
ing any  other  period.  The  churches  in  the  western 
section  of  Classis  decided  to  raise  a  "Loretz  Benefi- 
ciaryship"  of  $5000,  and  the  churches  in  the  central 


24  Catawba  College 

section  a  "Boger  Beneficiaryship"  of  $1500.  The  full 
amounts  were  not  attained,  but  several  hundred  dol- 
lars were  raised  and  with  the  money  quite  a  number  of 
young  men  were  materially  assisted  in  securing  their 
training  in  college  and  seminary.  The  "Education  So- 
ciety" lacked  only  a  little  of  being  a  board  of  education 
for  a  college,  though  there  was  then  no  college  in  ex- 
istence. 

Student  John  Lantz,  of  Lincoln  county,  was  the  first 
young  man  under  the  care  of  the  "Education  Society." 
He  was  ordained  to  the  Gospel  ministry  August  5, 
1838. 

Rev.  Andrew  Loretz  had  so  endeared  himself  to  the 
churches  in  North  and  South  Carolina  by  his  Hercu- 
lean labors,  eloquent  preaching,  pastoral  care,  mis- 
sionary zeal,  personal  magnetism  and  sympathy  for  the 
afflicted,  that  when  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United 
States  celebrated  the  centennial  of  her  founding  in 
this  country,  in  1841,  a  generation  after  his  death, 
these  churches  raised  a  fund  for  beneficiary  education, 
and  called  it  the  "Loretz  Beneficiary  Fund."  Aided 
by  the  interest  on  this  fund,  a  number  of  young  men 
were  educated  for  the  ministry  at  our  institutions  at 
York  and  Mercersburg,  Pennsylvania.  This  was  be- 
fore the  days  of  railroads,  and  the  young  men  traveled 
by  private  conveyance.  This  was  tedious,  tiresome 
and  expensive.  While  the  managers  of  this  fund  were 
discussing  these  difficulties  of  travel  at  St.  Matthew's 
camp  ground  in  1849,  in  the  presence  of  the  late  Judge 
M.  L.  McCorkle,  then  a  young  attorney  fresh  from 
Davidson  College,  a  young  and  struggling  institution 
of  the   Presbyterian   Church   in   North   Carolina,   he 


K  lt^MMfc-T..J 

v;r"W^"*,,^I^ w   ! 

f     ^7'*    -       >'          *sa^ 

jw  ™Jf\ 

■  '^Bm 

I**' 

r"-:  *'•'" 

-gggjg?1'-   '  i     ^""^^ 

^  - .     ^  * 

™     .«-«"'*** 

-^■■S**"    **■   ^ 

™™rc^ag 

■*^».  -.  ' °it rtjE*"  ' 

-         -^ 

;  :: ,"  ijOEst-  -  <L:.  z 

%  ;  _ 

m^*  '"  jiJR. 

""'  ."  --•- 

K6^4: ., 

**> 

' 

_•             (9k 

St.  Matthew's  Arbor. 

Where  the  first  suggestion  was  made  for  the  founding  of 
the  college. 


(25) 


Founding  of  New  Institution;  Its  Charter    27 

suggested :  "Why  not  found  a  college  of  our  own  in 
our  midst?"  This  was  the  germ,  from  which  Catawba 
College  sprang.  The  idea  was  inspiring.  It  took 
shape  at  once,  and  in  the  fall  of  1851  Catawba  College 
was  opened  in  the  "Old  Academy  Building"  in  New- 
ton, North  Carolina.  Further  details  of  the  story  are 
related  below. 

The  Classis  of  North  Carolina  had  been  faithful 
and  devoted  to  the  Synodical  Schools  of  the  Reformed 
Church,  and  had  sent  her  young  men  North  to  be 
educated.  In  1843  the  Classis  went  on  record  as  at- 
tributing her  success  in  securing  a  supply  of  preachers 
to  these  schools  of  the  Church.  But  Mercersburg  was 
too  far  away  to  be  reached  by  the  scores  of  young 
men  in  the  Reformed  Church  in  North  Carolina  who 
wished  to  secure  the  blessing  of  a  liberal  education. 
Practically  every  minister  in  the  Classis  was  a  school- 
teacher. This  was  a  necessity  from  the  scarcity  of 
teachers  in  those  days.  A  select  company  of  young 
men  crowded  -around  these  ministers  to  be  taught 
English,  Greek  and  Latin.  These  ministers  also  con- 
ducted small  theological  seminaries;  the  Classis  as- 
signed students  for  the  Gospel  ministry  to  certain 
ministers  for  guidance  and  instruction  in  their  theo- 
logical studies. 

The  people,  ministers  and  laymen,  discussed  pri- 
vately the  propriety  of  establishing  a  high  school  at 
some  point  within  the  bounds  of  Classis,  accessible  to 
all  the  territory  occupied  by  the  Church.  When  in 
the  year  1849  the  Classis  met  in  Grace  Reformed 
Church  (the  White  Church)  in  the  town  of  Newton, 
the  capital  of  the  newly-formed  Catawba  County,  the 


28  Catawba  College 

sentiment  for  such  a  school  became  so  strong  that  on 
the  last  day  of  the  meeting,  April  30th,  it  was  crystal- 
lized into  the  following  resolution :  "Resolved,  That 
a  committee  be  appointed  to  report  at  the  next  meet- 
ing of  the  Classis  on  the  propriety  of  establishing  a 
school  of  high  order  within  the  bounds  of  this  Classis 
and  under  its  control."  The  committee  appointed  for 
this  purpose  consisted  of  Rev.  G.  W.  Welker,  Rev. 
Jeremiah  Ingold  and  Elder  Henry  Sechler.  In  1850 
the  Classis  met  at  Mt.  Zion  Church,  Rowan  County. 
The  committee  reported  progress  and  was  continued. 
The  Classis  was  called  to  meet  November  19th  of 
that  same  year  at  Mt.  Zion  Church  to  hear  the  final 
report  of  the  committee  on  the  high  school.  The  report 
was  as  follows :  "1.  The  Classis  is  not  now  prepared 
to  locate  the  school ;  but  a  committee  should  be  appoint- 
ed to  report  on  the  most  eligible  situation  for  such  a 
school  at  the  next  regular  meeting  of  Classis.  2.  It 
is  not  possible  immediately  to  procure  a  competent 
teacher  and  the  organization  of  the  school  should  be 
postponed  for  the  present,  but  a  committee  should  be 
appointed  to  correspond  on  the  subject  and  suggest 
a  person  or  persons  by  the  next  annual  meeting  of 
Classis,  suitable  for  a  teacher,  together  with  the  sal- 
ary required.  3.  That  the  young  men  now  ready 
to  engage  in  study  be  so  apportioned  among  the  sev- 
eral ministers  of  Classis  as  shall  suit  their  conven- 
ience and  the  time  and  care  of  the  ministers.  4.  That 
the  interests  of  this  contemplated  school  be  recom- 
mended to  the  attention  of  each  minister  and  member 
of  Classis."  The  first  committee  called  for  consisted 
of  John  Coulter,  Henry  Sechler  and  Rev.  John  Lantz; 


Rev.  Dr.  G.  W.  Welker. 


Rev.  John  Lantz.  Rev.    Jeremiah    Ingold. 

(29) 


Founding  of  New  Institution;  Its  Charter    31 

the  second  committee  consisted  of  Revs.  T.  Butler,  J. 
H.  Crawford,  G.  W.  Welker  and  J.  Ingold.  The  next 
annual  meeting-  was  held  at  Beck's  Church,  April, 
1851.  In  the  meantime  the  last-named  committee  had 
appointed  Rev.  J.  H.  Crawford  as  the  agent  to  collect 
funds.  He  reported  that  the  scholarship  plan  had 
been  adopted,  and  that  he  had  secured  twenty-eight 
scholarships  at  $200  each  and  twenty-four  half  scholar- 
ships at  $100  each;  also  $125  for  a  building  and  con- 
tingent fund.  He  had  visited  all  the  charges  but  had 
not  solicited  all  persons  likely  to  take  scholarships,  and 
had  made  no  effort  to  procure  any  funds  for  build- 
ing. The  committee  on  the  location  of  the  school  re- 
ported three  desirable  places,  Salisbury,  Sandy  Ridge 
and  Newton,  but  mentioned  Newton  as  their  prefer- 
ence. Newton  was  accordingly  chosen  by  the  Classis 
for  the  location  of  the  school.  The  people  in  various 
sections  of  the  Church  had  taken  ,a  lively  interest  in 
this  enterprise.  The  citizens  of  the  young  and  vig- 
orous town  of  Newton  were  anxious  to  secure  the 
prize  for  their  community.  M.  L.  McCorkle,  Esq.,  a 
prominent  lawyer  of  that  town  and  a  member  of  the 
Reformed  Church,  had  already  proposed,  in  a  conver- 
sation with  friends  of  the  movement  at  St.  Matthew's 
camp  ground  in  1849,  that  the  school  be  located  at 
Newton.  And  he  took  the  lead  in  bringing  this  about. 
He  went  to  Beck's  Church  to  attend  the  meeting  of 
Classis,  though  not  an  elder,  and  was  accorded  all  the 
privileges  of  the  floor  except  that  of  voting.  Further 
action  in  the  interest  of  the  school  was  taken  as  fol- 
lows :     "Whereas,  it  will  not  be  safe  to  establish  the 


32  Catawba  College 

contemplated  high  school  unless  $10,000  can  be  se- 
cured in  the  way  of  scholarships  and  $5,000  as  a  build- 
ing fund,  and,  Whereas,  that  sum  is  not  yet  secured, 
Resolved,  That  Classis  continue  the  effort  to  collect 
funds  and  secure  scholarships  until  the  adjourned 
meeting  provided  for  in  the  next  resolution.  2.  That 
Classis  hold  an  adjourned  meeting  in  Newton,  Ca- 
tawba County,  North  Carolina,  on  Friday  before  the 
second  Sunday  in  June,  1851,  at  10  o'clock  A.  M. 
3.  That  if  it  shall  appear  at  this  adjourned  meeting 
that  the  required  sum  is  secured,  the  Classis  go  for- 
ward to  establish  the  school  immediately.  4.  That 
Classis  appoint  one  or  more  persons  in  each  charge  as 
agents  to  secure  funds."  The  following  appointments 
were  made:  M.  L.  McCorkle,  Esq.,  and  Dr.  Q.  A. 
Shuford,  for  the  Newton  Charge;  John  Coulter,  Esq., 
Catawba  Charge;  Rev.  David  Crooks  and  Mr.  Daniel 
Finger,  Lincoln  Charge;  Rev.  Thornton  Butler,  Mr. 
John  Swing  and  Mr.  Jacob  Berrier,  Davidson  Charge ; 
Rev.  G.  W.  Welker,  and  Mr.  J.  C.  Clapp,  Guilford 
Charge;  Mr.  Levi  Correll,  West  Rowan  Charge;  Rev. 
John  Lantz  and  Col.  George  Barnhart,  East  Rowan 
Charge. 

The  Classis  met  again  at  Newton  June  6,  1851.  The 
soliciting  committee  had  succeeded  in  securing  $10,- 
000  in  scholarships  and  $675  for  the  building  and 
contingent  fund.  Final  action  for  the  establishment 
of  the  high  school  was  postponed  to  a  special  meeting 
of  Classis  to  be  held  at  Mt.  Zion  Church,  August  12, 
1851.  A  committee  of  seven  was  appointed,  consist- 
ing of  M.  L.  McCorkle,  Esq.,  Dr.  Q.  A.  Shuford,  D.  B. 
Gaither,   F.   D.   Reinhardt,    Esq.,   Dr.   J.   W.    Gunter, 


The  Hox.  M.  L.  McCorkle. 


(33) 


Founding  of  New  Institution  ;  Its  Charter    35 

John  Wilfong  and  Jos.  A.  Reinhardt,  to  secure  in  the 
meantime  $5,000  for  the  building  and  contingent 
fund.  When  Classis  met  at  Mt.  Zion  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  the  whole  sum  of  $5,000  had  not  been 
secured,  whereupon  Rev.  G.  W.  Welker,  John  Coulter 
and  H.  F.  Ramsour  were  appointed  to  propose  to  the 
people  of  Newton  and  vicinity  that  when  they  should 
convey  to  the  treasurer  of  Classis  ten  acres  of  ground 
as  a  proper  location  for  the  school,  and  erect  thereon 
a  residence  of  specified  dimensions,  and  also  a  brick 
building  for  the  school  in  accordance  with  a  plan  sub- 
mitted, then  the  Classis  would  pay  $1,000  to  the 
people  of  Newton  and  vicinity  (this  amount  to  be 
collected  east  of  the  Catawba  River) ,  and  would  es- 
tablish the  school  with  a  professor  or  professors  to 
meet  its  needs.  So  certain  was  it  that  these  conditions 
would  be  met  that  Classis  proceeded  to  elect  a  prin- 
cipal for  the  school  in  the  person  of  Rev.  Jacob  Chap- 
man, of  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Chapman, 
however,  declined  the  position.  Action  was  also  taken 
to  raise  a  fund  of  $1,500  (including  the  $1,000 
mentioned  above),  and  to  increase  the  scholarship 
fund  to  $15,000.  When  the  Classis  met  at  Grace 
Church,  Catawba  County,  October  11,  1851,  it  was  re- 
ported that  the  citizens  of  Newton  and  vicinity  had 
met  the  requirements  of  Classis.  Rev.  J.  H.  Crawford, 
Rev.  David  Crooks,  F.  D.  Reinhardt,  Esq.,  M.  L.  Mc- 
Corkle,  Esq.,  and  Jno.  Wilfong,  Esq.,  were  accordingly 
directed  to  take  charge  of  the  opening  of  the  school, 
to  secure  a  teacher  for  the  time  being  and  to  watch 
over  all  the  interests  of  the  school  until  the  next  an- 
nual meeting  of  Classis.     Rev.  G.  W.  Welker  was  at 


36  Catawba  College 

the  same  time  instructed  to  recommend  a  suitable  per- 
son at  the  next  meeting  for  principal  of  the  school. 
The  committee  having  the  school  in  charge  reported 
at  a  special  meeting  of  Classis  at  St.  Paul's,  Rowan 
County,  February  25,  1852,  that  they  had  opened  the 
school  December  3,  1851,  with  Rev.  C.  H.  Albert  as 
principal  and  Mr.  H.  H.  Smith,  assistant,  for  the  first 
session,  and  that  there  were  then  thirty-two  pupils 
in  the  school.  The  Classis  decided  not  to  elect  a  prin- 
cipal at  that  time,  and  placed  the  school  in  charge  of 
Rev.  John  H.  Crawford,  Rev.  C.  H.  Albert,  John  Wil- 
fong,  M.  L.  McCorkle,  F.  D.  Reinhardt,  D.  B.  Gaither 
and  Joseph  Reinhardt  for  the  next  session.  When 
Classis  met  in  annual  session  at  the  Brick  Church, 
May  14,  1852,  these  commissioners  reported  that  they 
had  elected  Rev.  C.  H.  Albert,  Principal  of  the  school 
and  Professor  of  Belles  Lettres  and  the  Latin  and 
Greek  Languages,  and  Mr.  H.  H.  Smith,  Professor  of 
Mathematics,  Natural  Science  and  Modern  Languages. 
One  glowing  sentence  in  the  report  reads :  "The  com- 
mittee only  yet  have  to  add  that  the  prospects  of  the 
school  are  so  far  very  encouraging,  and  that,  with  the 
favor  of  the  members  of  the  Church  in  the  shape  of 
dollars  and  cents  and  the  blessing  of  God,  the  institu- 
tion will  beyond  all  doubt  become  one  of  the  best  lit- 
erary institutions  in  the  State.  Let  our  people  open 
their  hearts  and  their  purses  and  certain  and  glorious 
success  will  follow."  It  was  also  decided  at  that  meet- 
ing that  after  the  close  of  the  next  term  the  conduct 
and  control  of  the  school  should  be  vested  in  a  Board 
of  Trustees,  consisting  of  eighteen  members,  six  of 
whom   should   be   elected   annually  by  the   Classis  of 


(37) 


Founding  of  New  Institution  ;  Its  Charter    39 

North  Carolina.  The  following  were  elected  the  first 
members  of  this  board :  John  Coulter,  Jonas  Ram- 
sour,  Esq.,  G.  P.  Shuford,  Jos.  Reinhardt,  F.  D.  Rein- 
hardt,  Esq.  and  Col  Philip  Hedrick,  one  year;  John 
Wilfong,  E.  R.  Shuford,  George  Setzer,  T.  W.  Brad- 
burn,  Jacob  Ramsour  and  Joshua  Clapp,  two  years; 
Rev.  J.  H.  Crawford,  M.  L.  McCorkle,  Esq.,  Jonas 
Bost,  Dr.  Q.  A.  Shuford,  Col.  Geo.  Barnhardt  and  Levi 
Correll,  three  years.  These  were  all  faithful,  and 
attended  meetings  of  the  Trustees  when  possible, 
though  some  had  to  go  long  distances.  Most  of  them 
were  large  farmers  and  probably  all  owned  slaves. 
In  this  their  wealth  was  more  apparent  than  real, 
for  the  board,  clothing  and  doctor  bills  in  most  cases 
hardly  compensated  them  for  any  profit  desired  from 
their  services,  and  these  men  had  little  money  to  give 
the  College.  Rev.  J.  H.  Crawford  was  appointed  agent 
for  the  school  to  collect  an  endowment  fund  of  $10,000 
in  addition  to  the  scholarships  already  secured.  Pro- 
vision was  made  to  secure  a  charter  from  the  State  of 
North  Carolina.  The  name  of  Catawba  College  was 
adopted  for  the  school. 

In  1842,  after  an  exciting  and  bitter  campaign,  an 
election  was  held  to  decide  whether  the  large  county 
of  Lincoln  should  be  divided.  The  result  was  a  divi- 
sion :  the  eastern  portion  was  cut  off.  The  county  was 
named  Catawba  from  the  fact  that  the  Catawba  river 
formed  the  eastern  and  northern  boundaries  of  the 
new  county.  The  name  Catawba  is  said  to  be  an  In- 
dian term  which  means  "Catfish  River."  The  river 
and  the  name  are  so  old  and  their  history  extends  so 
far  back  that  it  is  not  now  known  whether  the  tribe 


40  Catawba  College 

of  Catawba  Indians1  that  dwelt  along  the  banks  gave 
the  name  to  the  river,  or  whether  they  were  themselves 
called  Catawba  on  account  of  the  river.  When  it  was 
decided  to  locate  the  college  at  Newton,  the  name  Ca- 
tawba was  naturally  selected.  Probably  no  other  name 
was  even  considered. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  in  this  early  period 
more  schools  and  colleges  were  founded  than  a  wealthy 
and  populous  community  would  ultimately  be  able  to 
maintain.  Thus,  the  Lutherans  founded  Lenoir  Col- 
lege at  Hickory  and  Concordia  College  at  Conover, 
while  the  Reformed  people  founded  Claremont  Col- 
lege (for  girls)  at  Hickory  and  Catawba  College  at 
Newton.  Here  were  four  colleges  set  up  by  the  same 
group  of  people  within  a  distance  of  ten  miles.  Out 
of  this  mistaken  policy  grew  some  of  the  troubles  and 
heartaches  of  later  years.  The  Reformed  and  Luther- 
an people  also  set  up  still  other  schools  in  parts  of 
the  state  not  far  distant.  They  could  not,  of  course, 
foresee  the  day  of  great  free  modern  high  schools  and 
great  state  and  endowed  institutions  of  higher  learn- 
ing. Probably  all  of  the  colleges  and  universities  of 
the  state  in  1860  put  together  would  not  make  much 
more  than  one  institution  such  as  the  Salisbury  high 
school  of  today. 

When  the  legislature  remanded  back  the  prohibition 
amendment  for  popular  vote  in  Newton  township,  Rev. 


lAccording  to  the  anonymous  author  of  the  article  on  the 
Catawba  printed  in  the  eleventh  edition  of  the  Encyclopedia 
Britannia,  their  name  is  derived  from  a  Choctaw  word  meaning 
"divided." 


President  Smith. 


(41) 


Founding  of  New  Institution  ;  Its  Charter    43 

John  Lantz  undertook  personally  to  see  every  doubt- 
ful voter  and  explain.  The  vote  carried.  The  feeling 
was  bitter  and  was  directed  against  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Lantz  to  such  an  extent  that  his  enemies  employed  a 
lady  to  teach  a  subscription  school  in  the  old  academy 
building,  asking  all  who  had  children  to  subscribe 
except  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lantz.  As  a  result  his  children 
had  to  be  taught  at  home  for  a  year  or  two  until  en- 
mity to  him  had  passed  away.  These  men  and"  their 
children,  however,  continued  to  find  fault  with  the 
college,  and  were  always  ready  to  criticize  faculty 
and  trustees  and  to  take  sides  violently  with  insubor- 
dinate students. 

Rev.  John  Lantz,  as  pastor  of  the  local  church,  was 
intimately  related  with  the  early  life  of  the  institu- 
tion. He  had  preached  for  fifteen  years  at  Lower 
Stone  Church  in  Rowan  County  and  was  on  the  origi- 
nal committee  for  locating  the  college.  Probably  he 
was  the  one  who  worked  for  the  Salisbury  location. 
He  did  not,  however,  greatly  object  to  Newton  because 
his  parents  lived  in  Catawba  County.  He  simply 
moved  to  Newton.  While  he  was  one  of  those  appoint- 
ed to  raise  money,  his  work  was  chiefly  canvassing 
for  students.  Most  of  the  boarding  students  were 
from  Cabarrus  and  Rowan  Counties,  and  were  se- 
cured through  the  influence  of  Rev.  John  Lantz  and 
Rev.  Jeremiah  Ingold. 

Some  of  the  prominent  men  of  Newton  at  the  time 
the  college  was  opened  were  the  following:  Jonas 
Bost,  a  hotel  man;  Adam  Gross,  hotel  man;  David 
Gaither,  a  merchant,  whose  wife  was  Reformed  while 
he  himself  was  a  Presbyterian  and  joined  the  church 


44  Catawba  College 

of  that  denomination  which  was  organized  years  later. 
He  was  a  merchant  and  during  the  Civil  War  kept  the 
post  office  in  his  little  store.  There  was  not  much 
to  sell.  George  Setzer  was  a  merchant  and  landowner, 
a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church  and  the  father  of 
John  Setzer  and  the  late  Mrs.  Virginia  Shipp.  Reub- 
en Setzer,  Reformed,  landowner  gave  the  site  of  the 
first  college  building  and  "professor's  house."  He  was 
a  good  man,  a  great  friend  of  the  college,  and  one 
of  the  trustees.  John  Wilfong,  Reformed,  was  a  mer- 
chant and  landowner.  He  was  a  quiet  man  and  a 
great  Bible  reader.  There  was  a  young  lawyer,  the 
only  one  in  the  county,  Matthew  L.  McCorkle.  There 
were  two  physicians,  Dr.  Turner  Abernathy  and  Dr. 
Ogborne  Campbell  whose  wife  was  Katherine,  daughter 
of  Jonas  Bost  and  Reformed.  Their  son,  James  Camp- 
bell, became  a  distinguished  physician.  His  sister,  Alda 
Campbell,  became  the  wife  of  Abel  Shuford  at  Hickory. 
Abel  Shuford  was  a  great  friend  of  the  college.  He 
gave  a  great  deal  of  time  and  money,  and  intended  to 
give  more,  but  died  suddenly  before  he  got  that  ar- 
rangement made.  There  was  a  tailor  in  Newton, 
Hiram  Whitener,  who  made  the  suits  for  Newton  men. 
There  was  a  general  store  kept  by  Andy  Fullenwider. 
He  sold  liquor  and  corrupted  young  men,  teaching  them 
to  gamble.  There  was  a  grocer  named  Israel  Hilde- 
brand  who  also  sold  liquors  and  confectioneries.  Near 
Newton  lived  Daniel  Rowe  (Rauch)  with  a  large  fam- 
ily. He  was  Reformed  and  educated  his  sons  at  Ca- 
tawba College  to  which  the  family  was  always  loyal 
and  devoted.  About  1873  Hiram  A.  Forney  moved  to 
Newton  from  Lincoln  County  to  educate  his  family. 


Founding  of  New  Institution  ;  Its  Charter    45 

He  was  called  Col.  Forney  from  having  been  an  officer 
in  the  state  militia.  He  educated  his  sons,  John,  Ed- 
ward, and  Sidney  in  the  college.  Col.  Forney  was  a 
remarkable  man,  a  trustee  of  the  college,  and  kept  the 
minutes  for  the  meetings  while  he  lived.  Joseph 
Rowe  and  Peter  Rowe,  grandfather  of  Rev.  Walter 
Rowe,  were  also  friends  of  the  college. 

The  Charter  of  Catawba  College. 

The  Act  of  Incorporation  follows .  The  Amend- 
ments to  the  original  charter  are  also  given. 

An  Act  To  Incorporate  Catawba  College. 

Sec.  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly  of 
the  State  of  North  Carolina,  and  it  is  hereby  enacted 
by  the  authority  of  the  same:  That  Joshua  Clapp, 
Philip  Hedrick,  Geo.  Barnhardt,  Levi  Correll,  Jonas 
Ramsour,  Sen.,  John  Coulter,  Jacob  Ramsour  (of  M. 
W.),  G.  P.  Shuford,  F.  D.  Reinhardt,  Joseph  A.  Rein- 
hardt,  E.  R.  Shuford,  Jonas  Bost,  Q.  A.  Shuford,  John 
Wilfong,  T.  W.  Bradburn,  George  Setzer,  M.  L.  Mc- 
Corkle  and  J.  H.  Crawford  and  their  successors  be  and 
they  are  hereby  created  a  corporation  and  body  politic, 
to  be  known  and  distinguished  by  the  name  of  "The 
Trustees  of  Catawba  College,"  and  by  that  name  shall 
have  a  common  seal,  and  be  capable  to  sue  and  be 
sued,  to  plead  and  be  impleaded,  in  law  or  equity,  and 
of  taking  by  purchase,  device  or  donation,  real  and 
personal  estate,  and  of  holding  and  conveying  the 
same,  and  shall  have  all  the  powers  and  privileges, 
and  be  subject  to  all  the  liabilities  contained  in  Chap- 
ter 26th  Revised  Statutes. 


46 


Catawba  College 


Sec.  2.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  trustees 
above  named  shall  allot  themselves  into  three  classes; 
the  place  of  those  of  the  first  class  to  be  vacated  at 
the  expiration  of  the  first  year;  of  the  second  class 
at  the  expiration  of  the  second  year,  and  of  the  third 
class  at  the  expiration  of  the  third  year,  reckoning 
from  the  first  day  of  April,  1852,  so  that  one  third 
of  their  number  may  be  chosen  every  year,  such  choice 
to  be  made  by  the  North  Carolina  Classis  of  the  Ger- 
man Reformed  Church. 


Sec.  3.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  said  trustees 
and  their  successors,  or  two-thirds  of  their  number, 
shall  have  the  power  of  appointing  a  president  and 
such  professors  and  tutors  as  to  them  shall  appear 
necessary  and  proper  for  said  College,  whom  they 
may  at  any  time  remove  for  misbehavior,  inability  or 
neglect  of  duty,  and  a  majority  of  them  may,  from 
time  to  time,  make  such  by-laws  and  rules  for  their 
own  government  and  that  of  the  College,  and  for  the 
preservation  of  order  and  good  morals  therein,  as  to 
them  may  appear  expedient. 


Founding  of  New  Institution  ;  Its  Charter    47 

Sec.  4.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  faculty  of 
said  college,  consisting  of  President,  professors  and 
tutors,  in  connection  with  the  trustees,  shall  have  the 
power  of  conferring  degrees  or  marks  of  literary  dis- 
tinction as  are  usually  conferred  in  colleges  and  sem- 
inaries of  learning. 

Sec.  5.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  this  act  shall 
take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  the  ratifi- 
cation thereof. 

(Read  three  times  and  ratified  in  General  Assem- 
bly this  17th  day  of  December,  A.  D.  1852.) 

AMENDMENT  I. 

An  act  to  amend  an  act  to  incorporate  "Catawba 
College." 

Sec.  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly  of 
the  State  of  North  Carolina,  and  it  is  hereby  enacted 
by  the  authority  of  the  same,  That  an  act,  entitled 
"an  act  to  incorporate  Catawba  College,"  passed  at 
the  General  Assembly  of  1852-3,  be  so  amended  as 
to  prohibit  the  sale  or  barter  of  spirituous  liquors 
within  two  miles  of  Catawba  College,  in  the  county 
of  Catawba,  and  any  person  so  offending  shall  be  sub- 
ject to  the  same  penalties,  and  collected  in  the  same 
manner  as  hereinafter  provided. 

Sec.  2.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  any  person  or 
persons  violating  the  provisions  of  this  act  shall,  for 
every  offense,  forfeit  and  pay  twenty  dollars  to  be 
recovered  by  warrant  before  a  Justice  of  the  Peace 
in  the  name  of  the  trustees  of  Catawba  College,  one 
half  to  the  use  of  the  informer  and  the  other  half  to 
the  use  of  the  institution. 


48  Catawba  College 

Sec.  3.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  an  election 
shall  be  ordered  at  any  time  before  the  first  Monday  in 
May  next,  ten  days  notice  thereof  previously  given, 
to  be  held  by  the  sheriff  of  said  county,  under  the 
same  rules  and  regulations  that  other  elections  are 
held,  and  all  persons  within  the  corporate  limits  of 
the  town  of  Newton,  who  are  qualified  to  vote  for 
members  of  the  legislature,  shall  be  entitled  to  vote 
in  said  election,  and  if  a  majority  of  the  qualified 
voters  within  the  said  corporate  limits  vote  "yea" 
then  this  act  shall  be  in  full  force  and  effect,  and  if 
a  majority  of  them  "no"  then  this  act  shall  be  null 
and  void. 

(Ratified  the day  of  February,  1859.) 

AMENDMENT  II. 

The  General  Assembly  of  North  Carolina  do  enact: 
Sec.  1.  That  section  one  of  chapter  eighty-four, 
private  laws  of  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty- 
eight  and  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty-nine 
be  amended  to  read  as  follows :  That  an  act  entitled 
"an  act  to  incorporate  Catawba  College,"  passed  by 
the  General  Assembly  of  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  fifty-two  and  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
fifty-three  be  amended  so  as  to  prohibit  the  barter  or 
sale,  directly  or  indirectly  or  the  keeping  on  deposit 
for  the  use  of  another  of  any  intoxicating  liquors  with- 
in two  miles  of  said  college :  Provided,  That  the  com- 
missioners of  the  town  of  Newton,  under  such  rules 
and  regulations  as  they  may  prescribe,  not  inconsist- 
ent with  the  provisions  of  this  act,  may  allow  the  sale 
of  liquor  for  medical  purposes  by  one  licensed  druggist 


Founding  of  New  Institution  ;  Its  Charter    49 

in  said  town  upon  the  prescription  of  regularly  li- 
censed and  practising  physicians;  but  no  liquors  sold 
by  such  druggist  shall  be  used  on  the  premises  occu- 
pied by  him;  and  any  such  licensed  druggist  allowing 
such  use  of  liquors  sold  by  him,  or  who  shall,  in  any 
way,  contribute  to  the  sale  of  liquors  in  said  town  ex- 
cept for  bona-fide  medicinal  purposes  and  upon  pre- 
scription of  the  physician  written  by  him  on  the  day 
application  for  sale  is  made,  or  who  shall  sell  any  in- 
toxicating liquors  to  any  minor  without  physician's 
prescription  and  without  written  permission  of  par- 
ents, or  to  any  student  without  physician's  prescrip- 
tion and  written  permission  of  his  teacher,  shall  by 
the  commissioners  at  once  be  deprived  of  the  license 
to  sell  liquors  and  be  subject  to  the  pains  and  penalties 
prescribed  in  section  two  of  this  act;  and  any  physi- 
cian who  shall  directly  or  indirectly  contribute  to  a 
violation  of  the  spirit  of  this  act,  or  letter  thereof, 
shall  be  liable  to  the  pains  and  penalties :  Provided 
further,  That  any  person  who  shall,  without  the  pre- 
scription and  permission  above  contemplated,  convey 
to  any  minor  or  student  any  intoxicating  liquors,  or 
in  any  way  contribute  to  his  securing  the  same,  shall 
be  liable  to  the  same  pains  and  penalties:  Provided 
further,  That  the  provisions  of  this  act  shall  not  be 
construed  to  prohibit  the  sale  of  pure  wines  for  sac- 
ramental purposes. 

Sec.  2.  That  section  two  of  said  chapter  eighty- 
four  be  amended  to  read  as  follows :  That  any  per- 
son who  shall  violate  the  provision  of  this  act  shall 
be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and,  on  convic- 


50  Catawba  College 

tion  thereof,  shall  be  fined  not  more  than  fifty  dollars 
or  imprisoned  not  more  than  thirty  days. 

Sec.  3.  That  this  act  shall  be  in  force  from  and 
after  its  ratification. 

Read  in  the  General  Assembly  three  times,  and  rat- 
ified this  the  19th  day  of  February,  A.  D.  1881. 

AMENDMENT  III. 

Certificate  of  Amendment  of  the  Charter  of 
Catawba  College. 

This  is  to  Certify,  that  at  a  meeting,  held  in  the 
City  of  Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  on  the  19th  day 
of  May,  1925,  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Catawba  Col- 
lege ,  an  educational  corporation  not  under  the  patron- 
age or  control  of  the  State  and  organized  under  the 
laws  of  the  General  Assembly  of  North  Carolina,  did 
pass  a  resolution  declaring  that  the  amendment  to  its 
charter  hereinafter  set  forth  is  advisable  and  did  call 
a  meeting  of  the  Trustees  to  take  action  thereon  and 
thereafter  on  the  7th  day  of  June,  1926,  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  said  Catawba  College,  at  a  meeting  duly 
and  regularly  held,  and  after  due  and  proper  notice 
thereof,  did  pass  the  following  resolution  unanimously, 
two-thirds  of  the  Trustees  of  the  said  corporation 
voting  in  favor  of  the  said  amendment,  the  said  reso- 
lution providing  for  said  amendment  being  as  follows, 
to-wit : 

RESOLUTION. 

"Whereas  it  is  advisable,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees,  to  increase  the  number  of  Trustees  from 
eighteen  to  twenty-four,   in  order  to  extend  the  in- 


Founding  of  New  Institution;  Its  Charter    51 

fluence  of  the  institution  and  to  better  provide  for  its 
control  and  management. 

"Therefore  Be  It  Resolved,  that  it  is  advisable  to 
amend  the  charter  providing  for  the  creation  of  Ca- 
tawba College  by  striking  out  Section  Two  thereof 
and  substituting  the  following: 

"  'Section  Two :  Be  It  Further  Enacted,  that  on 
and  after  January  1,  1926,  and  as  soon  thereafter  as 
their  election  can  be  provided  for,  the  "Trustees  of 
Catawba  College"  shall  consist  of  twenty-four  mem- 
bers, allotted  into  three  classes;  the  place  of  those  of 
the  first  class  to  be  vacated  at  the  expiration  of  the 
first  year;  of  the  second  class  at  the  expiration  of  the 
second  year;  and  of  the  third  class  at  the  expiration 
of  the  third  year,  reckoning  from  the  first  day  of 
April,  1852,  so  that  one-third  of  their  number  may  be 
chosen  every  year,  such  choice  to  be  made  by  the 
Classis  of  North  Carolina,  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
the  United  States.'  " 

This  is  to  Further  Certify,  that  attached  hereto  is 
the  written  assent  to  said  amendment  of  more  than 
two-thirds  of  the  Trustees  of  the  said  Catawba  Col- 
lege. 

This  was  properly  signed  and  executed  by  the 
Trustees,  and  on  October  14,  1926  certified  by  W.  N. 
Everett,  Secretary  of  State. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Education  in  North  Carolina  Prior  to  1860 

IN  ORDER  THAT  the  reader  may  understand  the 
circumstances  under  which  Catawba  College  was 
founded,  and  may  be  able  to  properly  evaluate  its 
importance  in  the  light  of  the  educational  standards  of 
the  time,  it  is  desirable  to  give  an  account  of  education 
in  North  Carolina  prior  to  1860.  Probably  this  cannot 
be  better  done  than  by  taking  as  a  sample  county,  Ca- 
tawba, in  which  the  new  college  was  located.  For  this 
purpose  the  material  of  this  chapter  is  taken  in  its  en- 
tirety from  the  unpublished  Master's  Thesis  of  Mr. 
Russell  W.  Whitener.1  The  purpose  of  the  writer  was 
to  show  "that  Catawba  had  a  very  creditable  system 
of  public  schools."  While  this  was  doubtless  true 
from  a  comparative  standpoint,  yet  from  our  present- 
day  viewpoint  North  Carolina,  of  which  Catawba 
County  was  a  fair  sample,  had,  at  the  time  of  the 
founding  of  Catawba  College,  only  the  most  meager 
school  facilities.  It  was  against  a  very  dark  educa- 
tional background,  therefore,  that  Catawba  raised  the 
bright  torch  of  learning.  From  Mr.  Whitener's  ac- 
count, which  follows,  the  reader  will  note  the  extreme 
"smallness"  of  all  things  educational. 


TThis  entire  chapter  is  taken  from  the  unpublished  Master's 
Thesis  of  Russell  W.  Whitener;  "The  Growth  and  Development  of 
Education  in  Catawba  County."     Chapel  Hill,  N.  C.  1924. 

(52) 


Education  in  North  Carolina  Prior  to  1860    53 

"The  history  of  education  in  Catawba  County  prior 
to  1860  is  very  closely  associated  with  the  history  of 
the  early  German  settlers  of  this  region.  But  it  has 
been  the  misfortune  of  all  the  Germans  in  North  Car- 
olina to  have  no  historian  at  a  time  when  it  was 
possible  to  collect  facts  relating  to  their  immigration 
into  the  colony — whence  they  came,  or  what  part  they 
had  in  laying  the  foundation  for  the  future  greatness 
of  the  state.  Even  records  of  churches  are  scant,  im- 
perfect, or  lost.  However,  from  the  few  records  ob- 
tainable we  learn  that  these  Germans  established  pa- 
rochial schools  in  all  their  settlements,  whenever  it 
could  possibly  be  done  and  a  teacher  secured — an  ar- 
rangement to  which  they  had  always  been  accustomed 
in  their  Fatherland,  in  which  the  catechism  was  taught 
as  well  as  other  branches  of  rudimental  knowledge; 
neither  was  the  Bible  excluded  from  the  school  but  gen- 
erally constituted  the  textbook  in  the  reading  classes; 
by  this  means  a  vast  amount  of  religious  intelligence 
was  diffused  among  the  German  settlers  and  their  in- 
habitants.1 

"Another  writer  says:  They  (the  German  set- 
tlers) had  scarcely  reared  a  log  cabin  and  cleared 
away  a  few  acres  of  land  when  there  was  built 
in  some  accessible  place  a  schoolhouse  which  served 
as  a  place  for  worship;  they  had  more  teachers  than 
they  had  ministers.2  The  Germans  of  Catawba  were 
not  an  exception  to  this  rule  for  we  find  that  they 


1Bernheim — German  Settlers  and  the  Lutheran  Church  in 
North  Carolina.      (Pages  186-187). 

^Reverend  G.  W.  Welker,  in  Colonial  Records  of  North  Caro- 
lina.    Volume  8,  Page  731. 


54  Catawba  College 

eariy  established  parochial  schools.  The  deed  to  St. 
Paul's,  a  union  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Church  and  the 
oldest  church  in  the  county,  made  in  1760,  specifies 
that  the  land  was  given  for  a  church  and  a  school- 
house.1  There  is  no  record  as  to  the  number  of  such 
schools  established  or  how  long-  the  terms  were,  but 
we  know  that  they  were  the  only  schools  in  existence 
during  the  early  history  of  the  county. 

"In  1839  the  State  of  North  Carolina  enacted  a 
statewide  public-school  law.  The  provisions  of  this 
law  made  it  possible  for  a  county  to  receive  from  the 
literary  fund  of  the  state  $40.00  for  each  school  dis- 
trict, provided  that  the  county  raised  by  taxation  the 
sum  of  $20.00  for  each  district.2  But  Lincoln  County, 
of  which  at  that  time  Catawba  was  a  part,  was  one 
of  the  seven  counties  of  the  State  which  failed  to 
adopt  the  State  system.3 

"In  1845  John  Coulter  filed  a  bond  for  the  sum  of 
$10,000  having  been  appointed  chairman  of  the  board 
of  superintendents  of  common  schools  of  Catawba 
County.4  This  bond  was  signed  by  John  Coulter,  Eli 
R.  Shuford,  Andrew  Killian  and  J.  A.  Reinhardt. 
Coulter's  first  report,  now  in  the  records  of  the  coun- 
ty, is  for  the  year  1846-1847  and  is  dated  November 
13,  1847.    Evidently  schools  were  held  during  the  year 


iReformed  Church  in  North  Carolina.      (Page  243). 

2Knight — 'Public  School  Education  in  North  Carolina.  (Pages 
140-144). 

3Knight — Public  School  Education  in  North  Carolina.  (Page 
145).  There  is  no  record  in  the  files  of  the  County  as  to  the  date 
when  Catawba  adopted  the  school  law  and  began  to  share  in  the 
funds  of  the  State. 

^Records  of  Catawba  County. 


Education  in  North  Carolina  Prior  to  1860    55 

1845-1846,  for  he  reports  a  balance  on  hand  November 
2,  1846,  of  $2,907.85,  but  the  record  for  that  year  has 
been  lost.1  The  report  for  1846-1847  shows  that  there 
were  38  districts  in  the  county  at  that  time  and  that 
school  was  actually  taught  in  35  of  them.  The  census 
is  given  by  districts,  in  part  of  which  males  and  fe- 
males were  kept  separate,  but  in  most  of  the  districts 
they  were  reported  together.  The  total  census  of  chil- 
dren between  the  ages  of  5  and  21  years  of  age  is  3,772. 
The  number  of  children  taught  in  30  districts  was: 
Male  971,  female  843,  total  1,814.  Reckoning  on  the 
basis  of  the  districts  reporting,  56%  of  the  children 
in  the  census  were  enrolled. 

"The  names  of  the  teachers  which  are  given  for 
each  district  reveal  the  surprising  information  that 
there  is  not  one  woman  in  the  forty-three  teachers  of 
the  county.  Three  districts  had  two-teacher  schools, 
and  four  other  districts  had  more  than  one  teacher  but 
they  taught  at  different  periods  during  the  same  year. 
The  length  of  the  term  would  perhaps  indicate  that 
summer  schools  had  been  held  in  these  districts.  An- 
other surprising  fact  which  this  first  report  revealed 
is  the  length  of  the  school  term.  Few  people  knew  of 
the  existence  of  any  public  school  system  in  North 
Carolina  before  the  publication  of  Knight's  'Public 
School  Education  in  North  Carolina'  (1916).  But 
to  find  a  school  in  Catawba  County  in  the  early  forties 
with  a  six  or  a  seven  months'  term  gives  something 


!A11  the  reports  of  these  years  were  made  out  on  large  sheets 
of  paper  and  have  never  been  bound.  The  records  remaining 
are  in  a  bad  state  of  preservation  with  the  paper  rapidly  decaying 
because  of  having  been  improperly  filed  away. 


56  Catawba  College 

of  a  shock.  It  is  true  that  we  find  two-months'  schools 
as  we  should  naturally  expect  but  this  report  shows 
only  three  of  them.  In  addition  to  the  three  districts 
which  had  school  two  months,  we  find  that  twenty  had 
school  for  three  months,  three  for  four  months,  one 
for  four  months  and  eight  days,  one  for  four  months 
and  eleven  days,  four  for  five  months,  one  for  five 
months  and  fourteen  days,  and  one  for  six  months. 
One  school  failed  to  make  a  report  but  the  amount  paid 
the  teacher  indicates  that  the  term  must  have  been 
between  three  and  one-half  and  four  months.  The 
average  term  for  the  entire  county  was  three  and  one- 
half  months.  An  entry  after  one  district  records  that 
the  schoolhouse  was  burned  after  school  had  been 
taught  for  two  months  and  three  days.  The  total 
amount  paid  the  teachers  was  $1,550.39 14  or  an  aver- 
age monthly  salary  of  $12.55  per  month.  Three 
schoolhouses  were  paid  for  during  the  year.  Nothing 
is  given  to  indicate  the  type  but  in  all  probability  they 
were  one-room  log  structures  of  the  kind  so  frequently 
found  in  the  county  at  a  much  later  period.  One 
building  cost  $100.00,  a  second  had  been  built  for  $91.- 
00,  while  the  third,  including  building,  benches,  and 
buckets,  cost  a  grand  total  of  $100.37 14 

"In  the  financial  statement  Coulter  does  not  ex- 
plain what  amount  was  raised  by  local  taxation  or 
how  much  was  received  from  the  State  literary  fund 
although  two  entries  are  made  which  indicate  that 
the   funds  from  the   State   for  this  year  must  have 


Education  in  North  Carolina  Prior  to  1860    57 

passed  through  the  hands  of  the  sheriff  of  the  county 
before  being  turned  over  to  the  superintendent  of 
common  schools.  One  entry  shows :  'By  cash  on  fall 
dividends  $862.13,'  and  the  other  entry  says:  'By 
cash  from  A.  M.  Shuford,  Sheriff,  on  spring  dividend 
of  1847,  $622.50.'  In  Coulter's  report  for  the  next 
year  dated  October  30,  1848,  an  entry  dated  Novem- 
ber 20,  1847,  credits  the  fall  dividend  of  $960.91  from 
the  Cape  Fear  Bank  and  the  spring  dividend  of  $460.- 
87  from  the  same  source.  This  second  report  also 
credits  B.  S.  Johnson,  Sheriff,  of  Lincoln  County,  with 
$125.60  as  tax  money  received  February  1,  1848.  No 
further  information  was  given  in  either  of  the  reports 
concerning  the  meaning  of  these  entries. 

"The  entire  financial  statement  for  the  year  1846- 
1847  is  as  follows:1 
Receipts: 

Balance  on  hand,  November  2,  1846  .  .  .    $2,907.85 

By  deduction  from  district  Number 

25,  an  error  in  the  number  of  children  .  .   28.00 

By  cash  on  fall  dividend 862.13 

By  cash  from  A.  M.  Shuford,  Sheriff, 

on  spring  dividend 622.50 


Total   receipts    $4,420.48 

Disbursements : 

Paid  teachers    $1550.391/2 

Other  disbursements    425.89V-2 

Total  disbursements $2,025.67 


iRecords  of  Catawba  County. 


58  Catawba  College 

Balance  with  the  chairman  after  settle- 
ment with  the  committee  of  finances  .  .   2,394.81 


Total    $4,420.48 

"Item  #2  of  the  receipts  shows  that  the  funds  for 
the  districts  must  have  been  apportioned  according  to 
the  number  of  children  on  the  census,  a  probable  rea- 
son for  the  varying  length  of  the  school  term  in  the 
county.  The  commissioner  or  chairman  received  $49,- 
40  for  his  year's  work  which  was  no  doubt  limited  to 
certifying  teachers,  signing  vouchers,  etc. — duties 
which  could  be  done  in  a  few  days  each  month — and 
while  $49.40  is  a  small  compensation  in  comparison 
with  the  value  of  the  dollar  today,  when  we  remember 
that  the  average  teacher's  salary  was  only  $12.55  per 
month,  the  $49.40  must  have  been  a  large  salary  for 
this  work. 

"In  addition  to  the  comparatively  large  salary,  the 
chairman  must  have  made  a  considerable  income  by 
loaning  the  large  amount  of  money  remaining  in  his 
hands  as  shown  by  the  balances  for  each  year.  In 
fact,  the  balance  remaining  in  his  hands  was  consid- 
erably more  than  the  total  expenditures  for  the  year.1 
"In  the  second  report  made  by  Coulter,  which  has 
already  been  mentioned  above,  we  learn  that  there 
were  two  districts  in  the  county  which  supported  a 
seven-months  school.  No  better  evidence  could  be  pro- 
duced to  show  that  there  was  a  fine  school  spirit  in 


]This  practice  was  common  and  not  considered  wrong.  I(t 
prevailed  widely  in  ante-bellum  Virginia.  See  Knight's  Public 
Education  in  the  South,  page  212. 


Education  in  North  Carolina  Prior  to  1860    59 

Catawba  County  in  ante-bellum  days  and  could  the 
Civil  War  with  its  blasting  effects  have  been  post- 
poned indefinitely  there  would  perhaps  have  been  no 
need  for  an  educational  revival  under  the  leadership 
of  the  noted  Aycock.  Woman,  in  this  report  for  the 
year  of  1847-1848,  also  makes  her  debut  in  the  teaching 
profession  of  Catawba  County.  Mary  E.  Cansler 
taught  a  five-months  school  in  district  number  five 
for  a  total  salary  of  $57.00. 

"In  1851  a  report  was  filed  by  George  P.  Shuford, 
who  was  at  that  time  chairman  of  the  board  of  super- 
intendents, which  shows  that  the  number  of  districts 
had  increased  from  thirty-eight  to  forty-four  and  that 
school  was  taught  in  thirty-nine  of  the  districts.1  Shu- 
ford was  chairman  when  Wiley  was  elected  state  su- 
perintendent of  the  common  schools  in  1853  and  from 
this  date,  Catawba  is  included  in  the  reports  sent  out 
from  the  state.  A  comparison  of  the  status  of  Cataw- 
ba at  the  time  of  Coulter's  first  report  in  1847  and 
Wiley's  report  for  the  year  1860,  thirteen  years  later, 
is  tabulated  below: 


Whole  number  of  districts  . 
Number  of  districts  taught 
Whole  number  of  children 

reported  

Average  term  in  months  .  . 
Number  of  male  teachers    . 
Number  of  female  teachers 
Amount  of  money  spent   .  .  , 


1847 

1860 

38 

47 

35 

43 

3772 

3498 

3.5 

3.2 

43 

43 

0 

3 

$2025.67 

not 

given 

JRecords  of  Catawba  County. 


60  Catawba  College 

Amount  of  money  on  hand  .  .   $2394.81     not  reported 
Amount  collected  in  county  .  .  not  specified     $1210.45 

"The  above  comparison  shows  a  pronounced  in- 
crease both  in  the  number  of  districts  and  in  the  num- 
ber of  schools  taught  in  Catawba  during  this  period 
of  thirteen  years.  This  increase  of  nearly  twenty-five 
per  cent  shows  an  awakening  interest  in  the  question 
of  public  education  by  a  larger  number  of  the  people  of 
the  county.  Fewer  children  were  reported  in  1860, 
either  for  the  reason  that  the  later  reports  were  not 
as  accurately  taken,  or  possibly  because  a  number  of 
people  were  leaving  the  county  attracted  by  the  cheap 
lands  constantly  being  opened  up  in  the  west.  The 
decrease  in  the  length  of  the  school  term  may  have 
been  a  reaction  which  usually  follows  in  the  wake  of 
all  progressive  and  forward  movements.  But  it  is 
more  probably  due  to  a  smaller  amount  of  money  re- 
ceived from  the  state  brought  about,  no  doubt,  by  a 
more  business  like  and  rigid  system  of  state  super- 
vision under  Wiley.  Wiley's  first  report  for  the  year 
1853  shows  that  the  average  term  for  Catawba  was 
only  three  months,  hence,  Catawba  before  this  time 
must  have  been  drawing  more  than  her  pro  rata  share 
from  the  literary  fund.  Beginning  with  Wiley's  first 
report  we  find  that  instead  of  a  decrease  of  eight  and 
five-tenths  per  cent  there  is  shown  an  actual  increase 
of  six  and  two-thirds  per  cent  in  the  term  for  a  period 
of  seven  years  immediately  preceding  the  war. 

"The  above  reports  reveal  the  fact  that  Catawba  had 
a  very  creditable  and  growing  system  of  rural  public 
schools  until  the  war,  with  its  ruin  and  devastation, 
accompanied  by  the  destruction  of  the  entire  financial 


Education  in  North  Carolina  Prior  to  1860    81 

system  of  the  South.  It  wrecked  the  most  auspicious 
system  of  state-aided  schools  of  pre-war  days,  thereby 
keeping  Catawba  from  contributing  her  share  in  mak- 
ing North  Carolina  take  her  proper  place  in  the  ranks 
of  the  foremost  educational  states  of  the  Union. 

"During  the  period  between  1860  and  1865  Catawba 
County's  system  of  schools,  along  with  that  of  other 
counties  of  the  state,  gradually  gave  way  under  the 
terrific  strain  of  war." 

The  above  facts  indicate  that  Catawba  College  was 
born  into  a  state  in  which  a  small  proportion  of  chil- 
dren were  taught,  for  three  months  a  year,  by  poorly 
qualified  and  underpaid  teachers,  in  one-room  log 
schoolhouses,  almost  entirely  devoid  of  equipment. 
Catawba's  history  and  service  can  be  understood  only 
against  that  background,  and  especially  when  it  is  re- 
membered that  comparatively  little  educational  prog- 
ress was  made  before  the  year  1900. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Early    Administrations. 

THE  COLLEGE  BEGAN  in  the  one-room  weath- 
er-boarded house  known  as  the  "Old  Town  Acad- 
emy Building,"  located  in  a  large  grove  of  oak 
trees.  It  had  been  a  private,  ungraded  school,  owned 
by  the  town.  The  site  of  this  old  Academy  was  oppo- 
site the  Eastview  Cemetery.  The  plot  still  belongs  to 
the  town.  The  school  soon  became  too  large  for  this 
building  and  was  removed  to  the  "Old  White  Church" 
(Reformed),  the  first  church  built  in  the  town,  and 
for  a  number  of  years  the  only  one.  Here  it  remained 
about  two  years,  until  a  number  of  citizens  called 
obligors  erected  a  substantial  brick  building  and  a 
dwelling  for  the  President  on  an  elegant  campus  of 
about  six  acres  south  of  the  village.  This  campus  was 
donated  in  part  by  Reuben  Setzer,  who  was  for  many 
years  a  faithful  Trustee  and  constant  supporter  of 
the  school.  The  campus  has  been  enlarged  by  several 
purchases  since.  In  1880  a  new  brick  building,  of 
three  stories,  forty-five  by  ninety  feet,  was  added, 
and  in  1905  a  still  larger  addition,  with  plants  for 
lighting  and  heating  all  the  buildings  on  the  campus, 
was  commenced.  The  President's  house  was  enlarged 
some  years  before  and  converted  into  a  ladies'  dormi- 
tory, called  the  "Matron's  Hall." 

An  interesting  character  connected  with  the  build- 
ing of  the  college  was  Dolph  Setzer,  the  negro  who 

(62) 


Early  Administrations  63 

mixed  the  mortar.  Before  emancipation  he  belonged 
to  Reuben  Setzer.  He  was  born  on  the  Setzer  land, 
about  a  mile  from  the  court  house.  When  the  site 
for  the  town  was  staked  out  he  was  there;  he  mixed 
the  mortar  for  the  first  court  house  and  for  most  of 
the  masonry  in  the  town  after  that  to  the  time  of  his 
death.  When  a  young  man  his  skin  began  to  show 
white  spots.  Finally  from  coal-black  he  became  white, 
thereby  attracting  a  great  deal  of  attention.  The  rea- 
son for  this  change  is  not  known.  At  the  age  of  eighty- 
five,  according  to  the  Newton  paper,  he  was  still  work- 
ing and  getting  about  remarkably  well.  He  died  re- 
cently at  the  age  of  ninety-five.  Accounts  of  his  un- 
usual life  and  change  of  color  appeared  in  the  news- 
papers of  Charlotte  and  Newton. 

Charles  H.  Albert  was  born  in  1848  in  White  Hall, 
Lehigh  County,  Pennsylvania.  In  early  life  he  moved 
with  his  parents  to  Perry  County,  where  he  grew  up. 
He  pursued  his  literary  and  theological  studies  at 
Mercersburg,  Penn.,  graduating  in  1848,  and  after 
two  years  study  in  the  Seminary  was  licensed  by  the 
Lebanon  Classis  in  1850.  He  came  to  North  Caro- 
lina in  the  late  fall  of  1851  and  was  ordained  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry  by  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina 
in  May,  1852.  He  resided  in  Newton  while  acting  as 
Principal  of  the  budding  young  Catawba  College,  being 
Professor  of  Belles  Lettres  and  the  Latin  and  Greek 
Languages.  In  1853  he  was  dismissed  to  Goshenhop- 
pen  Classis  in  Pennsylvania,  where  for  several  years 
he  taught  a  select  school.  Subsequently  he  passed 
over  into  the  Episcopal  church  and  finally  died  in 
Texas   in   1869,  aged   45   years.     Dr.   Heisler  in   his 


64  Catawba  College 

book  "Fathers  of  the  Reformed  Church"  says :  "Mr. 
Albert  was  a  man  of  considerable  ability,  extensive 
knowledge  and  good  taste;  affable,  social  and  kind 
but  very  eccentric.  He  published  when  quite  young 
a  small  volume  of  poems."  He  preached  while 
in  Newton  at  some  of  the  country  churches  and  oc- 
casionally in  Newton.  There  are  at  this  time  a  few 
aged  persons  in  the  Church  who  remember  Rev.  Mr. 
Albert  well.  They  say  that  he  was  personally  well 
liked  but  that  his  wife  did  not  adapt  herself  to  the 
conditions,  made  odious  comparisons,  was  continually 
homesick  and  felt  herself  superior  to  most  of  the 
people  with  whom  she  was  compelled  to  associate.  As 
a  teacher  he  was  overshadowed  by  the  tremendous 
personality  of  his  associate,  Professor  H.  H.  Smith, 
Professor  of  Mathematics,  Natural  Science  and  Mod- 
ern Languages.  Under  these  circumstances,  he  re- 
turned North  after  two  years,  leaving  Prof.  Smith  in 
charge. 

Dr.  Hildreth  H.  Smith  was  born  in  1820  at  Deerfield 
Centre,  New  Hampshire.  He  was  a  farmer's  son  and 
taught  school  during  the  summer  months  in  order  to 
assist  in  paying  his  way  through  Rowdoin  College, 
where  he  graduated  with  first  honors.  He  afterwards 
went  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  taught  school, 
read  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  On  account  of 
failing  sight,  he  gave  up  the  profession,  secured  a 
sailing  vessel  and  for  several  months  voyaged  with 
friends  around  South  America  to  San  Francisco. 
After  teaching  one  year  at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  he  came 
south  with  Prof.  Albert  to  assist  him  in  building  up 
Catawba  College.     He  remained  here  four  years,  saw 


Early  Administrations  65 

the  first  College  building  erected,  and  pushed  the 
school  on  to  success.  He  has  always  been  considered 
the  FIRST  President  of  the  College  by  most  of  the 
Newton  people,  for  he  was  the  first  President  after 
the  school  could  in  any  way  be  considered  a  college. 
Some  of  the  students  were  well-advanced,  having  been 
prepared  in  good  private  schools.  Several,  among 
them,  Messrs.  Tom  and  Sam  Lowe,  had  been  students 
of  Peter  S.  Ney;  others  had  studied  at  the  Lincolnton 
Academy,  and  others  elsewhere  in  the  state.  Many 
of  them  became  very  prominent  in  their  own  neighbor- 
hoods and  in  the  State.  J.  C.  Clapp,  Alphonso  Clapp, 
J.  W.  Foust,  Eli  Warlick,  and  other  prominent  men 
were  among  the  first  students.  Prof.  Smith  was  a 
thorough  scholar  and  could  teach  any  branch  of  study, 
as  he  did  here  and  afterwards  at  the  University.  He 
believed  also  in  Athletics,  and  had  the  students  taught 
gymnastics,  boxing  and  fencing  while  here.  The  peo- 
ple were  very  backward  in  those  days,  and  in  every 
way  possible  he  contributed  to  the  upbuilding  of  the 
community.  He  organized  the  young  people  into  sing- 
ing classes  and  met  them  around  in  the  houses  where 
he  taught  them  to  sing  by  note.  One  student  was 
graduated  from  school  while  he  was  here,  Mr.  Dan 
Wilfong,  who  died  several  years  ago  in  the  far  South. 
His  diploma  is  in  the  possession  of  his  children.  It 
was  beautifully  written  in  Latin,  on  what  seems  to  be 
home  tanned  parchment,  probably  tanned  in  Newton 
by  Rev.  J.  H.  Crawford.  The  diploma  was  written  by 
Mr.  Tom  Lowe,  afterwards  Captain  and  later  Colonel, 
of  the  3rd  company  that  went  to  war  from  Catawba 


66  Catawba  College 

County.  The  diploma  for  the  A.  B.  Degree  from  Ca- 
tawba College  today  is  a  copy  of  it  in  its  wording. 

While  teaching  here  Prof.  Smith  married  Mary 
Brent  Hoke  of  Lincolnton,  the  sister  of  Gen.  Robert 
Hoke  of  the  Confederacy,  and  her  son,  Hoke  Smith, 
was  born  here.  Prof.  Smith  imbued  the  boys  with 
great  loyalty  to  the  school  and  stimulated  them  to  ex- 
pect from  this  College  great  things  for  Catawba  Coun- 
ty and  for  the  State.  We  have  seen  a  commencement 
oration  delivered  by  Mr.  Tcm  Lowe  while  the  school 
was  still  in  the  Church  building,  probably  about  1852. 
It  was  full  of  praise  and  gratitude  to  the  founders  of 
the  college,  of  hope  and  encouragement  for  the  fu- 
ture. "This  institution  is  ours,  ours  under  a  solemn 
pledge  that  we  will  preserve,  exalt  and  extend  it.  Hon- 
or and  gratitude  have  been  to  those  who  established 
it — honor  and  gratitude  shall  be  to  those  who  preserve 
it." 

Of  this  period  Mrs.  Foil  relates  the  following: 

"Prof.  Smith  was  a  wonderful  athlete  and  taught 
the  boys  boxing  and  fencing.  I  went  with  my  father 
and  mother  to  an  'exhibition'  or  entertainment.  Part 
of  the  program  was  a  boxing  contest,  won  by  Jacob 
Clapp,  later  to  become  President.  He  was  one  of  the 
handsomest  men  I  ever  laid  eyes  on.  I  was  glad  he  won 
the  contest,  but  I  was  frightened  to  death  by  the  box- 
ing and  fencing.  I  thought  they  would  kill  each  other. 
Only  Prof.  Smith  fenced  with  one  of  the  boys.  At 
this  time  there  were  only  about  fifty  or  sixty  stu- 
dents.   They  were  not  boys,  but  mostly  young  men. 

"They  built  a  house  of  seven  rooms  for  the  President, 
where  Prof.  Smith  lived.     Later  it  was  enlarged  as  a 


Early  Administrations  67 

dormitory  for  women.  It  had  crepe  myrtles  in  front, 
and  a  grove  of  cedars  in  the  rear.  It  was  a  beautiful 
place.  Mrs.  Smith  was  very  aesthetic  and  had  the 
place  beautiful.  The  house  was  built  a  year  before 
the  college. 

"At  first  they  did  not  have  any  boarding  department 
at  all.  Most  of  the  students  boarded  at  Rev.  Mr.  Craw- 
ford's, Mrs.  John  Wilfong's,  and  Rev.  John  Lantz's — 
all  Reformed  families.  Mrs.  Wilfong  at  one  time  had 
thirty  young  men  crowded  in  her  house.  This  house 
is  still  standing — the  George  McCorkle  house. 

"The  boys  were,  most  of  them,  pretty  good,  but  they 
did  have  some  rowdies,  who  gave  Prof.  Smith  trouble. 
He  was  a  very  strict  disciplinarian.  He  passed  a  rule 
requiring  the  boys  to  be  in  their  rooms  studying  after 
a  certain  hour,  about  7:30  or  8:00  o'clock  P.  M.  The 
landladies  were  to  report  them  if  they  did  not  do  it. 
The  boys  were  very  indignant.  They  caught  Prof. 
Smith  out  one  night  and  pelted  him  with  "spoiled" 
eggs.  I  don't  know  how  long  he  stayed  after  that.  He 
went  to  Lincolnton  to  engage  in  school  work,  and  later 
taught  in  the  University  of  North  Carolina.  There  his 
rigid  discipline  offended  again.  One  day  the  boys  set 
off  an  explosion  of  gunpowder  under  his  chair.  He 
was  a  great  man.  He  was  wonderfully  "smart"  and 
versatile.  Mrs.  Mary  Baker  G.  Eddy  was  his  mother's 
sister.  I  saw  Hoke  Smith  when  he  was  an  infant. 
His  parents  moved  to  Lincolnton  not  long  after  that." 

Prof.  Smith  was  called  from  here  to  the  University 
of  North  Carolina,  where  he  taught  Ancient  Languages 
and  Mathematics,  and  at  times  nearly  all  the  other 
branches.    He  remained  there  twelve  years,  but  in  1868, 


68  Catawba  College 

during  the  Reconstruction  period,  when  it  became  ap- 
parent that  the  carpet-baggers  were  going  to  admit 
negroes  to  the  University,  Dr.  Smith  resigned.  He 
then  went  to  Lincolnton,  where  he  organized  a  High 
School,  having  the  late  Dr.  Wetmore  as  assistant.  He 
taught  there  three  years.  He  then  moved  to  Atlanta 
and  had  taught  there  one  year,  when  Dr.  Sears,  Agent 
for  the  Peabody  Fund,  asked  him  to  go  to  Houston, 
Texas,  to  organize  the  Public  Schools.  He  returned 
to  Atlanta  in  1884  and  was  for  some  time  Principal 
of  the  Girls'  High  School ;  later,  however,  he  resigned 
and  became  Literary  Editor  of  the  Atlanta  Journal, 
until  he  gave  up  work,  being  in  his  old  age  afflicted 
with  blindness. 

Dr.  Smith  was  a  man  of  broad  learning  and  culture, 
a  fine  mathematician,  and  fond  of  astronomical  re- 
search. He  had  also  a  wonderful  grasp  of  languages, 
both  ancient  and  modern,  and  read  and  spoke  well 
French,  German,  Spanish,  and  Italian.  The  degree  of 
LL.  D.  was  conferred  on  him  by  Baylor  University, 
Texas. 

Dr.  Smith  died  full  of  honors  on  the  14th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1908,  while  his  son  was  Governor  of  Georgia. 
Both  houses  of  the  Georgia  Legislature  adjourned  out 
of  respect  to  the  Governor  and  the  scholar  who  had 
done  so  much  for  the  South.  The  following  editorial 
concerning  him  appeared  in  "The  Atlanta  Journal." 
We  append  it  because  it  seems  so  fair  an  appreciation 
of  the  man : 

"The  death  of  Dr.  Hildreth  H.  Smith,  the  venerable 
father  of  Governor  Smith,  will  carry  deep  and  genu- 
ine regret  to  the  hearts  of  thousands  of  devoted  friends 


Early  Administrations  69 

throughout  Georgia  and  the  south,  while  the  tenderest 
sympathies  of  the  people  go  out  to  the  chief  executive 
in  this  hour  of  his  bereavement. 

"His  was  a  scholarship  such  as  the  south  has  rarely 
ever  seen,  combined  with  a  gentleness  and  courtesy, 
the  fine  flavor  of  a  high  gentility  and  a  native  vigor  of 
intellect  which  could  not  fail  to  place  him  among 
the  notable  figures  of  the  south.  To  all  these  has  been 
added  length  of  days,  and  during  eighty-eight  years 
he  has  erected  the  wholesome  example  of  a  blameless 
life. 

"He  had  the  happy  faculty  not  only  of  acquiring  but 
imparting  information  and  he  readily  became  one  of 
the  most  successful  educators  of  the  country.  More 
than  one  generation,  developing  character  and  intellect 
under  his  discipline  and  tutelage,  rise  up  to  call  him 
blessed. 

"As  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  University  of 
North  Carolina  he  occupied  every  chair  in  the  institu- 
tion ;  as  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Peabody  fund  he 
demonstrated  his  broad,  practical  grasp  of  the  larger 
questions  of  education,  and  when  the  removal  of  his 
children  to  Atlanta  induced  him  to  make  his  home  here, 
he  did  notable  work  as  principal  of  the  Girls'  High 
School. 

"The  Journal  for  many  years  had  the  benefit  of  hi 3 
scholarship  and  literary  ability,  during  the  time  that 
he  was  the  gifted  editor  of  the  literary  department  of 
this  paper.  He  placed  this  work  on  a  high  plane  which 
attracted  wide-spread  attention.. 

"In  all  the  relations  of  life,  both  public  and  private, 
he  lived  up  to  the  high  duties  of  citizenship  and  he 


70  Catawba  College 

goes  to  his  reward  full  of  years  and  honors,  followed 
by  the  benediction  of  all  who  knew  him.  The  sympa- 
thy of  the  entire  state  goes  out  to  his  bereaved  family." 

The  scholarship  plan  on  which  the  school  was 
started  entitled  any  person  to  tuition  for  one  student 
if  he  paid  or  gave  bond  for  two  hundred  dollars  and 
paid  the  interest  at  six  per  cent.  The  rate  of  tuition 
for  others  was  very  low,  and  after  running  five  years 
the  plan  was  abandoned ;  the  faculty  resigned  and  the 
property  was  leased  to  one  of  the  Professors,  Charles 
W.  Smythe,  who  conducted  a  high  school  until  the 
spring  of  1860. 

While  at  Bowdoin,  Professor  Smith  had  as  one  of 
his  Professors,  Charles  Smythe.  When  C.  H.  Albert 
left,  Prof.  Smith  wrote  to  Prof.  Smythe  to  recommend 
an  assistant  for  him  at  Catawba  College.  Prof.  Smythe 
recommended  his  nephew  and  namesake,  Charles  W. 
Smythe  of  the  Senior  class,  who  was  secured. 

Prof.  Charles  W.  Smythe  was  born  April  9,  1829, 
at  Holderness,  New  Hampshire.  He  prepared  for  col- 
lege at  Northfield  Academy,  being  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1850,  and  from  Bowdoin  College  with  the 
class  of  1854.  While  a  student  at  Bowdoin,  he  was  en- 
gaged by  Prof.  H.  H.  Smith  for  the  Professorship  of 
Mathematics  and  Natural  Science  in  Catawba  College 
for  the  fall  of  1854,  Prof.  Smith  himself  taking  the 
Department  of  Ancient  and  Modern  Languages  and 
Literature.  In  1855  Prof.  Smythe  married  Margaret 
Harris,  daughter  of  Dr.  Charles  Harris,  of  Cabarrus 
County.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  the 
two  eldest  of  whom  survive :  Mary,  who  resides  at 
Williamsport,  Pa.,  and   Louis,  whose  home  is  in   St. 


Early  Administrations  71 

Johnsburg,  Vermont,  where  their  mother  died  in  1902. 

Prof.  Smythe  was  a  handsome,  polished  gentleman 
of  the  English  style,  of  Puritan  ancestry,  whose  for- 
bears came  over  in  the  Mayflower.  He  was  both  an 
excellent  scholar  and  an  earnest  Christian,  and  organ- 
ized the  first  Sunday  School  ever  held  in  Newton,  a 
union  Sunday  School,  which  met  in  his  private  par- 
lor. When  it  soon  became  too  large,  it  was  removed 
to  the  Reformed  Church,  where  for  several  years  after 
the  war  it  remained  the  only  one  in  town. 

Prof.  Smythe  was  an  excellent  teacher  in  the  class 
room  and  was  always  a  student,  but  it  was  said  that 
he  did  not  have  the  executive  ability  nor  the  physical 
strength  for  so  much  responsibility;  also  it  was  seen 
that  the  people  were  not  as  much  interested  in  educa- 
tion as  they  should  have  been ;  and  there  arose  a  senti- 
ment that  there  should  be  a  Reformed  minister  at  the 
head  of  the  school  who  could  go  out  among  the  congre- 
gations and  stir  them  up  to  send  their  sons  in  in- 
creasing numbers.  When  he  came  here,  Prof.  Smythe 
was  a  Congregationalist  but  he  connected  himself  with 
the  Reformed  Church  and  was  a  faithful  member. 
After  Dr.  Smith  resigned  he  had  served  as  head  of  the 
school.  When  Rev.  A.  S.  Vaughan  was  secured  as  Pres- 
ident, Prof.  Smythe  declined  to  remain  as  Professor  of 
Mathematics  and  Science,  though  the  Trustees  were 
anxious  to  retain  him.  Just  what  the  feeling  was  we 
do  not  know,  but  the  late  Major  Finger,  who  admired 
Prof.  Smythe  greatly,  always  thought  the  affair  badly 
managed,  and  when  Prof.  Smythe  moved  to  Lexington 
he  himself  went  to  Bowdoin  College  to  finish  his  edu- 


72  Catawba  College 

cation.  Newton  lost  one  of  her  most  valuable  citizens 
in  the  departure  of  this  great  educator. 

Prof.  Smythe  conducted  a  private  High  School  at 
Lexington,  and  by  this  time  had  become  thoroughly 
Southernized.  He  drilled  in  military  tactics  some  of 
the  first  companies  that  went  out  from  Lexington  to 
serve  in  the  Confederate  armies ;  later,  when  through 
the  hardships  of  war,  textbooks  for  the  schools  became 
scarce,  or,  as  we  sometimes  thought,  disloyal,  he  pub- 
lished a  series  of  school  books,  "Our  Own  Readers" 
and  "Our  Own  Grammars."  They  abounded  in  South- 
ern sentiments,  and  with  the  fall  of  the  Confederacy 
they  became  obsolete. 

After  moving  to  Lexington,  Prof.  Smythe  became 
an  active  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  Super- 
intendent of  the  Sunday  School.  He  died  in  1864  in 
the  prime  of  life,  mourned  by  a  whole  state.  His  chil- 
dren have  recently  placed  a  monument  at  his  grave  in 
Lexington. 

Rev.  A.  S.  Vaughan  came  to  Catawba  College  from 
Pennsylvania  in  the  fall  of  1859.  As  the  railroad  had 
not  yet  been  completed  to  Newton,  he  and  his  wife 
came  up  in  a  stage  coach  from  the  Catawba  River; 
their  household  effects,  including  a  piano,  were  brought 
up  later  on  wagons.  Mr.  Vaughan  was  a  graduate  of 
Franklin  and  Marshall  College.  He  had  married  a 
highly  educated  lady,  and  they  had  conducted  success- 
fully a  female  Institute  at  Doylestown,  Pa.  Seeing  that 
there  were  no  opportunities  for  girls  here,  Mrs. 
Vaughan  opened  up  in  the  Church  a  school  for  girls 
and  small  boys,  which  was  an  immediate  success.  She 
was  assisted  by  W.  R.  Vaughan,  her  brother-in-law.  In 


Early  Administrations  73 

the  spring  of  1860,  Mr.  Vaughan  was  received  into  the 
Classis  of  North  Carolina,  and  began  to  plan  great 
things  for  Catawba  College,  his  prime  move  being  to 
raise  sixty  thousand  dollars  as  an  endowment  fund. 
By  the  fall  of  1860  he  had  secured  half  the  above 
amount  and  reopened  the  institution,  with  Jacob  C. 
Clapp  as  Professor  of  Ancient  Languages  and  his 
brother,  William  Vaughan,  as  tutor.  When  the  clouds 
of  the  Civil  War  began  to  thicken  in  the  spring  of 
1861,  the  President  and  his  family  returned  to  Penn- 
sylvania. Many  of  the  students  enlisted  in  the  army, 
and  Professor  Clapp  finished  the  term  with  the  few  that 
remained.  Afterwards,  at  the  insistence  of  citizens  of 
the  town,  he  conducted  an  academy  in  the  college 
buildings  until  peace  was  declared.  After  the  surren- 
der he  associated  Maj.  S.  M.  Finger  with  him  in  con- 
ducting Catawba  High  School.  In  a  short  time  this 
institution  rivaled  Catawba  College  in  her  earlier  days. 
The  flower  of  the  youth  of  the  surrounding  country 
flocked  to  Newton  both  for  a  practical  business  educa- 
tion and  to  fit  for  college.  Many  of  the  young  men  had 
been  soldiers  and  had  felt  the  need  of  education. 
They  had  learned  also  obedience  to  authority.  They 
made  model  students,  and  teaching  them  was  a  delight- 
ful task.  These  men  are  now  among  the  most  useful 
and  successful  of  our  citizens.  Many  of  them  are  emi- 
nent in  the  learned  professions  and  captains  in  the 
army  of  the  growing  industries  which  are  rejuvenating 
the  South.  After  a  few  years  of  school  work  Major 
Finger  retired,  and  Catawba  High  School  was  con- 
ducted by  Prof.  J.  C.  Clapp,  assisted  by  several  young 
men  who  had  fitted  for  college  at  Catawba,  and  had 


74  Catawba  College 

graduated  at  other  institutions.  Among  these  was  Rev. 
John  A.  Foil,  who  in  a  few  years  became  co-principal 
and  afterwards  Professor  of  Mathematics.  In  these  ca- 
pacities he  rendered  valuable  service  for  many  years, 
teaching  at  various  times  almost  all  the  branches  of 
an  extensive  curriculum,  and  being  proficient  especially 
in  Mathematics,  Greek,  and  Chemistry.  He  worthily 
carried  the  degree  of  Ph.  D.,  conferred  by  his  Alma 
Mater,  Ursinus  College,  in  1889. 

Mrs.  Foil  relates  a  number  of  interesting  incidents 
connected  with  this  pre-war  period  as  follows: 

"Prof.  Smythe's  daughter,  at  Williamsport,  Pa.,  took 
the  opposite  position  from  her  father  on  the  Civil  War 
issue.  She  went  to  live  with  her  father's  folks  in  New 
Hampshire.  Some  years  after  the  war  Mrs.  Smythe's 
sister  from  South  Carolina  was  invited  to  visit  relatives 
in  New  Hampshire.  They  were  invited  out  to  dinner. 
She  had  started  to  eat.  Suddenly  she  jumped  up  from 
the  table  crying  and  went  to  her  room.  She  recog- 
nized her  own  silverware  on  the  table.  It  had  been 
stolen  from  her  South  Carolina  home  when  it  was  raid- 
ed during  the  Civil  War.  However,  on  that  question, 
my  attitude  is  that  the  Civil  War  was  'civil'  and  de- 
cent compared  with  the  World  War." 

"Before  the  war  and  afterwards,  they  held  'exhi- 
bitions' at  commencement  time.  People  came  in  from 
all  directions  and  stayed  the  whole  week.  They  slept 
on  the  floors  of  the  homes  of  citizens  of  Newton. 
Everybody  expected  to  have  the  house  filled,  and 
charged  nothing." 

"Old  Mrs.  Brown  sold  gingerbread  to  students  and 
others  on  Muster  day.    Twice  a  year  every  ablebodied 


Rev.  A.  S.  Vaughan. 


(75) 


Early  Administrations  77 

man  had  to  come  and  train.  She  came  with  a  covered 
wagon  and  great  quantities  of  gingerbread.  We  liked 
to  see  the  muster  and  training  of  the  men.  They  never 
expected  to  go  to  war." 

"President  Vaughan  came  about  '59.  He  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat and  not  out  of  sympathy  with  the  South,  but  he 
did  not  know  just  what  to  think  of  secession.  Rev.  John 
Lantz  did  not  favor  secession  until  Lincoln  called  for 
troops  and  South  Carolina,  Virginia  and  Tennessee  had 
seceded.  After  Fort  Sumter  was  fired  on,  they  began 
to  enlist  soldiers  and  they  were  trained  in  Newton,  a 
good  deal.  They — the  soldiers  who  enlisted — were  the 
flower  of  the  South.  There  were  probably  then  about 
seventy-five  students.  Some  of  them  were  from  South 
Carolina.  When  South  Carolina  seceded,  these  boys 
became  hot-heads  and  did  a  lot  of  talking.  When  Fort 
Sumter  was  fired  on,  Mrs.  Vaughan  got  nervous.  She 
was  afraid  she  could  not  get  back  home.  She  cried,  so 
he  took  her  home.  Whenever  a  company  would  march 
away,  they  would  have  a  preacher  preach  a  sermon  at 
the  Church  to  this  company  and  tell  the  boys  how  to 
fight  the  good  fight  spiritually  as  well  as  physically. 
Many  of  the  soldiers  were  college  students  and  Re- 
formed students.  They  requested  Mr.  Vaughan  to 
preach  the  sermon  to  the  company  that  was  going  to 
leave.  This  I  remember  distinctly,  as  I  was  about 
twelve  years  old.  He  took  as  his  text:  'And  I  will 
say  to  the  North,  give  up,  and  to  the  South,  keep  not 
back'  (Habakkuk).  It  was  startling.  Many  people 
were  curious  to  know  how  he  would  stand  on  the  sub- 
ject. He  encouraged  the  boys,  and  took  some  into 
the    Church.     Some   of  them    came   to  our    house   to 


78  Catawba  College 

be  confirmed  by  my  father  before  they  went  off.  They 
would  come  in  groups  of  from  two  to  five  and  he  con- 
firmed them  in  the  house." 

'The  railroad  to  Newton  was  finished  while  Mr. 
Vaughan  was  there.  When  they  left,  they  could  go  all 
the  way  on  the  train.  There  was  only  one  train  a 
day,  passenger  and  freight  combined." 

"We  thought  those  Yankees  and  New  Englanders 
were  smart.  That  is  why  we  usually  got  professors 
from  the  North.  They  tried  to  get  Dr.  J.  Spangler 
Kieffer  before  Mr.  Vaughan  came.  Smith  and  Smythe 
were  Congregationalists.  Many  of  our  people  pre- 
ferred Congregationalism  to  Mercersburg  theology. 
Our  house  was  always  a  center  for  Reformed  preachers 
to  congregate.  I  used  to  hear  Revs.  Messrs.  Crawford 
and  Welker  just  storm  and  storm  and  storm  about  Mer- 
cersburg theology,  until  I  thought  it  must  be  something 
'poison.'  " 

"Mr.  Vaughan  had  a  school  for  boys,  and  Mrs. 
Vaughan  a  school  for  girls.  During  the  War  they  were 
combined.  Dr.  Clapp  tried  to  run  both  schools,  the 
girls  school  at  the  Church  and  the  boys  school  at  the 
college.  He  had  a  woman  to  assist  him  with  the  girls 
school,  and  he  divided  his  day  between  them.  That 
however  became  too  trying.  After  that  he  took  us  all 
to  the  College.  They  did  not  want  to  do  away  with 
education  altogether  in  the  South  during  the  war. 
They  had  a  rule  that  if  a  man  could  get  75  to  100  pu- 
pils in  school,  he  would  be  exempt  from  being  drafted 
for  the  war.  Dr.  Clapp  scouted  around  and  got  all 
the  boys  and  girls  he  possibly  could  to  come  to  school. 
Eli  Warlick  assisted  him." 


Early  Administrations  79 

"Either  Prof.  Smith  or  Prof.  Smythe  was  assisted 
for  a  time  by  Samuel  Lander  of  Lincolnton,  who  was 
taking  some  special  studies  at  Catawba.  He  afterward 
taught  a  private  school  at  Lincolnton  for  some  years, 
became  a  Methodist  preacher,  moved  to  South  Caro- 
lina, and  established  a  school  for  girls  which  is  now 
known  as  Lander  College.  It  is  likely  that  other  ad- 
vanced pupils  may  have  assisted  Prof.  Smythe.  Rev. 
A.  S.  Vaughan  also  used  his  brother,  W.  R.  Vaughan, 
as  a  pupil-teacher." 

"The  two  literary  societies,  the  Philomathean  and 
the  Athenaean,  were  both  organized  before  the  War." 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Great  President — Dr.  Clapp. 

ii T  TP0N  THE  C0AT  0F  ARMS  of  the  Clapp 

I  J  family  we  always  find  this  motto,  which  is  a 
French  maxim : 

"Fais  ce  que  dois,  advienne  que  pourra. 

"The  meaning  of  this  motto  is, — 'Do  your  duty 
whatever  comes.' 

"The  ancestral  home  of  the  Clapp  (or  Klapp)  fam- 
ily of  the  Brick  Church  Community  in  eastern  Guil- 
ford county,  North  Carolina,  was  near  the  town  of 
Bingen  on  the  Rhine  river  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
Palatinate  region  of  eastern  Germany.  George  Val- 
entine Clapp  and  his  brother  sailed  from  Rotterdam 
on  the  ship  named  'James  Goodwill'  in  the  year  1727, 
and  landed  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  on  September  27, 
1727.  He  married  while  in  Pennsylvania  on  his  way 
to  North  Carolina,  and  his  wife's  maiden  name  was 
Mary  Albright.  Their  great-great-grandson  was  the 
Rev.  Jacob  Crawford  Clapp,  D.  D.,  the  best  known 
member  of  the  family  that  the  state  has  yet  known. 
He  was  a  son  of  the  late  Capt.  Joshua  and  Delilah 
(Huffman)  Clapp,  and  was  born  at  Clapp's  Mill  on 
Alamance  creek,  near  what  was  for  a  long  time  known 
as  Alamance  postoffice,  September  5,  1832.  He  passed 
through  the  preparatory  department  of  Catawba  Col- 
lege then  at  Newton,  N.  C,  and  graduated  from  Am- 
herst College,  Amherst,  Mass.,  with  the  class  of  1857 

(80) 


Presidext  Clapp. 


(81) 


The  Great  President — Dr.  Clapp  83 

when  he  was  25  years  old.  Ursinus  college  of  Penn- 
sylvania conferred  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity 
upon  him  in  later  years.  In  1858-1859  he  taught  near 
Alamance  postoffice,  his  old  home,  and  had  as  his  pu- 
pils many  of  the  best  known  young  people  from  the  best 
families  of  eastern  Guilford.  His  school  was  called 
Good  Hope  and  had  fifty  boarding  pupils,  in  addition 
to  the  local  patronage.  After  a  year  spent  here  he 
went  to  Bolton's,  Mississippi,  where  he  taught  for  some 
time.  At  this  place  on  July  4,  1860  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Emma  Lewis. 

"Returning  to  North  Carolina,  Dr.  Jacob  C.  Clapp 
was  ordained  a  minister  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
1867.  He  had  for  the  five  previous  years,  or  since  1860, 
been  professor  of  ancient  languages  in  the  college  of 
his  church,  Catawba  College,  and  in  1862  had  been 
made  president  of  the  institution.  He  had  a  long  and 
honorable  service  as  president  of  Catawba  College,  in 
connection  with  which  he  held  various  pastorates  of 
the  churches  of  his  denomination,  and  was  widely 
known  throughout  the  state  as  a  lecturer,  especially 
upon  the  subject  of  temperance,  which  was  a  vital 
issue  during  his  lifetime.  He  was  the  intimate  and 
confidential  friend  of  Dr.  George  Wm.  Welker  and 
others  of  the  strongest  men  of  his  denomination.  Ma- 
jor S.  M.  Finger  who  was  long  associated  with  him  in 
his  educational  work  afterwards  became  State  super- 
intendent of  education  for  North  Carolina.  In  May 
1900,  after  a  long  and  continuous  service  as  teacher 
and  president  Dr.  Clapp  resigned  from  the  work  of 
the  college. 


84  Catawba  College 

"In  1908  the  volume  known  as  the  'Historic  Sketch 
of  the  Reformed  Church  in  North  Carolina'  was  issued 
with  Dr.  Jacob  C.  Clapp  as  editor-in-chief.  This  was 
the  result  of  four  years'  work  since  the  publication  had 
been  authorized  in  the  meeting  of  the  Classis  of  North 
Carolina  at  a  session  held  in  High  Point,  in  May,  1904. 
Much  of  the  earlier  part  of  this  book  is  based  upon  the 
researches  of  Dr.  George  Wm.  Welker  as  published  in 
Vol.  VIII,  pages  727,  etc.,  etc.,  of  the  Colonial  Records 
of  North  Carolina. 

"Dr.  Jacob  Crawford  Clapp  was  a  man  of  fine  and 
commanding  physique  standing  more  than  six  feet 
high;  he  had  broad  shoulders,  strong  features  and 
dark,  peircing  eyes.  In  physical  build,  and  in  mental 
and  moral  equipment  he  was  a  born  leader  of  men. 
His  mind  was  well  disciplined,  his  stores  of  knowledge 
were  abundant,  and  he  was  fluent  and  convincing  in 
speech.  He  had  many  of  the  finest  qualities  of  the 
born  orator.  Having  traveled  widely,  and  having  a 
liberal  education  and  great  interest  in  his  fellow-men, 
he  spent  much  thought  on  the  question  as  to  how  to 
direct  humanity  to  its  highest  aims.  Gifted  in  social 
qualities,  and  with  an  unfailing  memory  for  names 
and  faces,  he  won  and  held  an  unusually  wide  circle 
of  friends. 

"In  the  pulpit  and  on  the  lecture  platform  he  ranked 
with  the  ablest  men  of  his  time,  and  when  it  was 
known  that  he  was  to  speak  it  might  be  safely  said 
that  every  seat  would  be  filled.  The  Reformed  Church 
in  North  Carolina  has  never  had  a  minister  who  sur- 
passed him  in  all  the  higher  qualities,  and  very  few, 
indeed,   would   claim   that  he   has   had   many   equals. 


Ri-:v.    J.    D.    Gurley. 


Wji.    H.    Thompson. 


(85) 


The  Great  President — Dr.  Clapp  87 

His  fraternal  spirit  gave  him  much  influence  with  other 
denominations,  and  his  type  of  Christianity  was  suffi- 
ciently broad  to  enable  him  to  always  be  at  home  in 
any  Christian  circle.  He  was  the  idol  of  his  friends 
and  admirers,  and  this  was  the  result  of  qualities  al- 
most ideal  for  such  work  as  his. 

"His  long  connection  with  Catawba  College,  where 
he  trained  many  of  the  ministers  of  his  church,  kept 
him  in  intimate  touch  with  every  movement  of  his 
times.  His  influence  in  his  church  Classis  was  un- 
bounded, and  its  ministers  delighted  to  follow  where 
he  pointed  the  way. 

"The  long  and  notable  life  work  of  Dr.  Jacob  Craw- 
ford Clapp  as  teacher,  minister,  college  president,  lec- 
turer and  Christian  gentleman  without  reproach  was 
such  as  to  build  for  him  an  everlasting  monument  in 
the  hearts  and  lives  and  characters  of  those  who  came 
under  his  influence.  Prepared  for  college  in  the  south, 
and  graduating  in  the  north  before  the  storm  of  the 
Civil  War  broke,  he  was  fitted  to  see  with  eyes  of  a 
statesman,  with  a  liberality  that  was  all  too  rare  in 
those  trying  times.  It  is  a  matter  of  great  regret 
that  no  one  has  as  yet  written  the  story  of  his  life; 
it  would  be  an  inspiration  to  the  young  men  of  any 
day,  and  some  one,  it  is  hoped,  will  soon  prepare  such 
a  volume.  As  a  master  workman  he  has  finished  his 
course  on  earth,  but  his  works  will  live  after  him 
through  all  time."1 


iThis  sketch  of  the  life  of  Dr.  C.app  is  quoted  from:  History  of 
Brick  Church  and  the  Clapp  Family,  Whitsett  Historical  Mono- 
graphs, No.  2.  By  William  Thornton  Whitsett,  Ph.  D.,  Publishers, 
"Saber  and  Song,"  Whitsett,  N.  C. 


88  Catawba  College 

In   1885  the  institution  resumed  operations  under 
its  original  charter.    Catawba  High  School  became  Ca- 
tawba College  in  name  and  in  fact.     The  faculty  con- 
sisted of  Rev.  Jacob  C.  Clapp,  A.  M.,  D.  D.,  President 
and  Professor  of  Intellectual  and  Moral  Philosophy; 
Rev.  John  A.  Foil,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D.,  Professor  of  Mathe- 
matics; Wm.  H.  Thompson,  A.  Mv  Professor  of  Latin 
and  English ;  Wm.  W.  Troup,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Greek 
and  German;  Rev.  Joseph  L.  Murphy,  A.  M.,  D.  D.,  Pro- 
fessor of  Logic  and  Aesthetics.  The  first  class  under  the 
new  arrangement  was  duly  graduated  in  1889.  It  com- 
sisted  of  three  young  men,  viz. :  Jacob  C.  Leonard,  of 
Davidson  County ;  J.  M.  Luther  Lyerly,  of  Rowan  Coun- 
ty; Moses  A.  Foil,  of  Cabarrus  County.  Subsequently 
the  two  first  named  became  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  and 
the  last  named  became  a  physician.     This  class  was 
instrumental   in  originating  the  first  monthly  maga- 
zine issued  by  Catawba  College.     The  first  issue  bore 
the  date  of  January,  1887.     Drs.  J.  A.  Foil  and  J.  L. 
Murphy  were  named  as  editors,  with  J.  C.  Leonard  and 
J.  M.  L.  Lyerly  as  associate  editors,  and  M.  A.  Foil  as 
business  manager.     But  it  was  understood  that  the 
three  students  were  responsible  for  the  management 
of  the  new  magazine,  for  which  they  chose  the  name, 
"THE  COLLEGE  VISITOR."    It  was  published  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Philomathean  Literary  Society  of 
Catawba  College.     The  issuing  of  a  college  magazine 
in  those  days  was  a  tremendous  undertaking.     It  was 
an  untried  enterprise  for  this  institution.     There  was 
of  course  the  danger  of  financial  failure.     The  college 
owned  no  printing  equipment.     The  whole  enterprise 
had  to  be  paid  for  on  contract.    To  back  up  the  untried 


Dr.  M.  A.  Foil 


Rev.   Dr.   J.   C.   Leonard. 


Rev.  Dr.  J.  M.  Lyerly. 


(89) 


The  Great  President — Dr.  Clapp  91 

venture,  citizens  of  the  town  of  Newton  were  solicited 
for  subscriptions  in  a  sort  of  guaranty  stock  company. 
Encouraging  response  was  made  and  the  management 
had  assets  of  a  few  hundred  dollars  which  could  be 
called  in  if  necessary.  Fortunately  the  venture  was 
a  splendid  success,  and  the  stockholders  were  never 
called  on  for  any  payments.  The  subscription  price 
was  sixty  cents  a  year.  The  College  Visitor  was  con- 
tinued through  eight  volumes,  the  last  issue  being  No. 
8,  Volume  VIII,  October,  1894.  The  author  of  this 
history  has  a  complete  file  of  this  interesting  college 
periodical,  likely  the  only  complete  one  in  existence. 

Other  publications  have  been  issued  by  the  college 
since  The  College  Visitor  passed  out  of  existence,  some 
for  longer  and  others  for  shorter  periods.  Each  in 
its  time  and  place  has  rendered  good  service  to  the  in- 
stitution and  its  friends.  The  latest  magazine  issued 
by  the  institution  is  The  Catawba  College  Bulletin,  is- 
sued regularly  from  the  college  offices  in  Salisbury, 
North  Carolina. 

Since  1889,  with  a  few  exceptions,  classes  have  been 
graduated  regularly,  varying  in  numbers  from  three 
to  eighteen. 

The  College  became  coeducational  in  1880,  and  the 
easy  and  natural  way  in  which  this  step  was  taken, 
probably  without  any  real  appreciation  of  the  impor- 
tance of  the  change,  is  very  interesting.  Miss  Willie 
Lantz  was  well  advanced  with  her  studies  and  not 
having  the  opportunity  to  go  on  with  them,  was  doing 
some  private  study  with  considerable  irregularity. 
Her  mother  asked  Dr.  Clapp  whether  she  could  not 
come  to  the  college  to  recite.    After  a  little  considera- 


92  Catawba  College. 

tion  he  said  that  he  saw  nothing  against  it  and  that 
he  would  also  take  in  his  daughter,  Miss  Emma  Clapp. 
These  two  girls  were  the  only  "co-eds"  that  term. 
Other  mothers  desired  the  same  privilege  for  their 
daughters,  and  as  the  college  was  being  built  up,  and 
the  number  of  schoolrooms  increased,  the  faculty  was 
also  increased,  and  was  soon  giving  instruction  to  a 
large  number  of  girls.  The  girls  were  admitted,  how- 
ever, with  the  understanding  that  they  were  to  fit 
into  classes  already  formed,  not  making  any  extra 
work,  and  so  these  two  were  admitted  in  1879.  At  the 
end  of  this  year  the  first  neat  catalogue  of  the  High 
School  was  published  in  Raleigh,  and  Dr.  Clapp  was 
spending  most  of  his  time  in  canvassing  for  funds  for 
the  new  building.  He  raised  in  the  Classis  something 
like  $4,000,  scarcely  any  one  refusing  to  contribute. 
In  the  catalogue  for  that  year  it  was  announced  that 
"as  soon  as  the  new  buildings  are  completed  and  the 
necessary  arrangements  made,  a  Female  Department 
will  be  opened,  in  which  will  be  afforded  young  ladies 
advantages  equal  to  those  afforded  young  men."  The 
faculty  next  year  consisted  of  Dr.  Clapp,  J.  A.  Foil, 
W.  P.  Cline,  Miss  Emma  Bell,  "Music,"  Mrs.  Clapp, 
"Assistant,"  Miss  Mattie  Jones  and  Miss  Sallie  Mc- 
Dowell, "Primary  Teachers,"  and  Mrs.  Foil,  "French, 
U.  S.  History  and  Penmanship."  The  number  of  pu- 
pils enrolled  was  132,  of  whom  49  were  girls.  In  1881 
Rev.  G.  D.  Gurley  joined  forces  with  the  school  and 
had  charge  of  the  Normal  Department  and  remained 
several  years.  Among  the  pupils  at  that  time  may  be 
mentioned  J.  L.  Murphy,  W.  A.  Self,  Edward  Cline,  Lu- 
ther Hunt,  Robt.  Cline  and  W.  B.  Gaither,  all  of  whom 


(93) 


The  Great  President — Dr.  Clapp  95 

became  useful  and  prominent  men.  Rev.  Robt.  Cline  in 
a  recent  letter  says  of  Catawba  High  School:  "It  was 
better  than  many  of  our  late  Colleges."  The  school 
aimed  to  prepare  students  for  the  Junior  Class  in  the 
best  Colleges.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  numbers  entered 
college  ahead  of  the  class  for  which  they  had  prepared. 
Up  to  this  point  besides  the  teachers  named  there  were 
Miss  Annie  Sorber  (Music)  and  Miss  Lizzie  Lindsay, 
(Primary).  In  1884  the  Board  of  Trustees  decided 
to  send  Dr.  Clapp  north  to  ask  aid  for  the  school.  Aft- 
er an  extensive  canvass  he  returned  with  the  announce- 
ment that  he  had  received  only  about  $500,  and  a 
promise  of  $1500  as  a  bequest.  He  was  much  discour- 
aged because  it  seemed  that  a  number  of  the  ministers 
not  only  did  not  assist  him  but  threw  obstacles  in  his 
way,  some  even  telling  him  that  they  did  not  wish 
him  to  canvass  their  congregations.  While  in  the 
north,  he  met  an  old  school  friend  at  Amherst,  Wil- 
liam Hayes  Ward,  Editor  of  the  Independent.  This 
meeting  resulted  in  the  election  of  Herbert  D.  Ward, 
his  son,  to  take  the  place  of  W.  P.  Cline,  resigned. 
He  was  a  brilliant  man  and  a  fine  teacher  but  re- 
mained with  us  for  only  one  year.  He  has  done 
something  in  the  way  of  authorship,  but  is  best  known 
as  the  husband  of  Elizabeth  Stuart  Phelps,  the  dis- 
tinguished authoress.  The  enrollment  at  the  College 
was  now  180,  and  in  1885  it  ceased  to  be  known  as  a 
High  School,  resuming  the  charter  as  a  College.  Dr. 
Clapp  agreed  to  this  somewhat  reluctantly.  He  knew 
that  it  meant  a  larger  faculty  and  unless  the  endow- 
ment could  be  raised  he  could  not  see  how  additional 
salaries  could  be  met.    He  had  personally  felt  the  pulse 


96  Catawba  College. 

of  the  north  and  thought  that  we  could  not  expect 
much  in  that  quarter,  and  having  so  recently  canvassed 
the  Classis  for  money  for  buildings,  he  did  not  think 
much  could  be  secured  for  an  endowment.  Prof.  Ward 
thought  that  the  American  Missionary  Association 
would  help  us  and  that  they  would  do  so  regardless  of 
denominational  lines,  and  he  was  authorized  to  see 
what  could  be  done.  The  Association  wrote  encourag- 
ingly, some  prominent  men  were  sent  here  and  hope 
was  held  out  to  us  that  ultimately  they  could  make  the 
endowment  $100,000.  However,  this  hope  was  dis- 
spelled  when  the  Trustees  received  from  Rev.  Joseph 
E.  Roy,  the  Field  Superintendent  of  the  Missionary  As- 
sociation, a  letter  explaining  on  what  terms  and  to 
what  extent  they  would  aid  us.  The  following  is 
quoted :  "If  Dr.  Roy  receives  assurance  from  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  Catawba  College  that  any  suitably 
qualified  colored  person  shall  have  admission  to  the  col- 
lege if  he  desires,  he  (Dr.  Roy)  be  authorized  to  pledge 
the  A.  M.  A.  at  his  discretion  to  the  amount  of  $1,000 
for  the  year  ending  September  30,  1885,  with  the  un- 
derstanding that  if  this  agreement  be  found  mutually 
acceptable,  the  sum  shall  be  subsequently  increased  as 
the  needs  of  the  College  and  the  financial  condition  of 
the  Association  warrant."  Under  this  condition  the  of- 
fer of  the  American  Missionary  Association  was  de- 
clined. In  1888  Mr.  Herbert  D.  Ward  was  sent  as  a  del- 
egate to  the  Trustees  with  a  proposal  that  the  Ameri- 
can Missionary  Association  should  lease  the  College  for 
a  period  of  33  years  and  run  it  themselves.  It  was  felt 
that  this  would  destroy  the  Reformed  Church  in  North 
Carolina,  that  part  of  the  Church  would  become  Con- 


(97) 


The  Great  President — Dr.  Clapp.  99 

gregationalist  and  the  rest  disintegrate,  passing  over 
into  other  churches;  that  it  would  be  unfair  to  those 
that  had  done  so  much  for  the  College;  and  that  by 
the  admission  of  negroes  her  mission  to  the  whites 
would  be  at  an  end.  This  proposition  also  was  declined, 
and  Prof.  Ward  who  had  set  his  heart  on  helping  us 
returned  home  disappointed. 

The  Trustees  now  saw  that  if  we  wanted  an  endow- 
ment for  Catawba  College,  we  must  depend  on  our- 
selves, and  began  to  take  subscriptions  first  from 
Trustees  and  members  of  the  Faculty.  The  subscrib- 
ers gave  their  note  for  the  amount  they  were  willing 
to  give,  pledging  themselves  to  pay  the  interest  annu- 
ally, the  principal  to  be  paid  at  death,  or  during  life 
if  preferred.  Dr.  Clapp  secured  the  larger  number  of 
these  subscribers.  Up  to  this  time  the  young  ladies 
who  were  boarding  pupils  had  boarded  in  town,  usu- 
ally with  relatives  or  members  of  the  Faculty.  In 
order  to  have  them  under  better  supervision,  at  the 
suggestion  of  Major  Finger,  the  Hall  was  remodeled 
to  be  used  as  a  boarding  house  for  girls  and  Mrs.  Kath- 
arine Shuford  was  employed  as  the  first  Matron.  She 
was  very  popular  and  the  house  became  so  crowded 
that  some  years  later  it  was  again  enlarged  and  at  one 
time  there  were  thirty  girls  crowded  in.  The  disposi- 
tion to  help  ourselves  met  with  reward,  and  later  the 
Potomac  Synod  came  to  our  aid  with  the  promise  of 
$17,000  toward  the  endowment. 

On  May  18,  1896,  Mr.  S.  M.  Finger,  a  trustee  of  the 
college,  addressed  a  letter  to  Col.  H.  A.  Forney,  Sec- 
retary of  the  Board,  in  which  he  expressed  his  regret 
that  a  meeting  of  the  Greensboro  Normal  and  Indus- 


100  Catawba  College. 

trial  School  Trustees  prevented  his  attendance  upon 
the  meeting  of  the  Trustees  of  Catawba  College.  In 
his  letter,  therefore,  he  suggested  two  steps  which  he 
considered  important  for  the  future  of  the  college. 
1.  He  suggested  that  the  "Matron's  Hall"  be  improved 
and  reserved  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  girls,  so  as  to 
provide  for  the  increasingly  important  place  the  girls 
would  occupy  in  the  future  of  Catawba  College,  as  "a 
successful  coeducational  institution." 

His  second  suggestion  was  as  follows :  "2.  As  the 
Synod  of  the  Potomac  will  no  doubt  ratify  the  action 
of  their  committee  in  reference  to  endowment,  it  will 
be  proper  for  our  Board  to  put  themselves  in  communi- 
cation with  the  Synod  at  its  meeting  to  be  held  next 
October,  and  take  some  steps  looking  to  raising  the  en- 
dowment as  contemplated  in  the  report  of  the  commit- 
tee, which  was  adopted  by  Classis.  This  endow- 
ment is  to  be  raised  by  the  Trustees  and  some  syste- 
matic plan  should  be  devised  to  do  it.  I  think  it  well 
to  consider  this  at  the  approaching  meeting  of  the 
Board.  Of  course  we  must  have  a  financial  agent  either 
in  the  person  of  the  President  of  the  institution  or 
someone  else.  Naturally  it  would  seem  that  the  Presi- 
dent should  be  that  agent,  but  not  necessarily.  This 
and  other  duties  will  of  course  take  all  his  time.  In- 
deed the  Trustees  have  already  said  that  just  as  soon 
as  the  financial  way  is  open,  the  best  interests  of  the 
institution  can  only  be  subserved  by  commanding  all 
the  time  of  the  President  in  teaching,  disciplining,  and 
canvassing." 

Maj.  Finger  suggested  a  field  Secretary  to  raise 
the  money  and  Rev.  J.  C.  Leonard  was  elected.     He 


H.  A.  Forney. 


Abel  Shuford.  ReV-  Dr.  j.  l.  Murphy. 

(101) 


The  Great  President — Dr.  Clapp  103 

canvassed  the  Synod  very  thoroughly  and  the  money 
he  secured  aided  materially,  while  he  brought  the  school 
before  the  church  as  had  never  been  done  before. 
The  Faculty  of  the  College  remained  practically  the 
same  for  some  years,  Music  teacher,  Primary  teacher 
and  Matron  constantly  changing.  The  largest  enroll- 
ment including  the  Primary  was  in  1890  when  there 
were  192. 

When  Prof.  Troup,  who  was  a  most  excellent  teacher, 
resigned  in  1892,  C.  H.  Mebane,  a  recent  graduate,  was 
elected  to  succeed  him  as  teacher  of  Greek,  German, 
and  History.  This  position  he  held  until  elected  State 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  and  Dr.  P.  M. 
Trexler  was  chosen  in  his  place.  About  this  time  Rev. 
J.  C.  Leonard  was  added  to  the  Faculty  teaching  His- 
tory and  English,  and  later  when  Prof.  Thompson  re- 
signed J.  B.  Leonard  taught  Latin  for  a  number  of 
years.     Crawford  Clapp  also  taught  a  year  or  two. 

The  early  curriculum  was  like  those  of  other  col- 
leges of  that  day:  much  Latin  and  Greek,  English, 
various  sciences  (theoretical,  all  taught  from  text- 
books with  little  equipment  for  laboratory  work)  and 
also  considerable  mathematics.  After  1885  a  regular 
"cut  and  dried"  college  course  was  arranged  and  it 
was  strictly  adhered  to.  Only  two  courses  were  ar- 
ranged; the  one  leading  to  the  A.  B.  degree  required 
much  Latin  and  considerable  Greek.  The  B.  S.  course 
was  exactly  the  same,  with  the  omission  of  Greek.  Two 
years  of  German  were  required.  Sometimes  French 
was  substituted  for  German.  When  the  first  class  grad- 
uated in  1889  they  were  as  good  scholars  as  if  they  had 
graduated  in  any  other  college.    The  course  was  about 


104  Catawba  College 

the  same  and  the  teachers  well  qualified.  The  prices  of 
tuition  were  graded,  the  highest  in  the  Literary  Depart- 
ment being  $4.00  per  month. 

In  May  1900,  after  an  almost  continuous  connection 
as  student,  tutor,  Trustee,  Financial  Agent,  Professor 
and  President,  beginning  in  1851,  Rev.  Dr.  Clapp  re- 
signed the  presidency.  From  Mrs.  Foil  we  have  re- 
ceived the  following  personal  information,  which  will 
help  the  reader  to  feel  that  he  has  formed  the  acquaint- 
ance of  this  great  man.  She  said,  "Dr.  Clapp  was  a 
splendid  teacher.  He  could  get  more  out  of  students 
than  anyone  I  ever  saw.  He  was  a  great  orator  and 
preacher,  and  never  in  my  life  have  I  heard  anyone  who 
could  make  a  prayer  like  Dr.  Clapp.  He  had  graduated 
at  Amherst,  and  had  gone  down  to  Mississippi  to  tutor 
for  some  planters.  The  Trustees  invited  him  to  come 
to  Newton.  It  was  a  promotion  for  him  and  he  came 
with  his  young  wife  of  only  seventeen.  Amherst  was 
considered  a  great  school.  Mr.  Smith  may  have  sug- 
gested to  him  that  he  should  go  to  Amherst.  Dr. 
Clapp's  family  were  large  slaveholders.  When  he 
came  to  Newton  they  had  perhaps  five  or  six  with  them. 
They  hired  them  out  to  people  for  help  in  their 
houses  or  on  the  farms.  They  were  good  negroes  and 
they  gave  no  trouble  at  all." 

Mrs.  Foil  also  related  how  Dr.  Ernest  Clapp  invited 
her  to  come  to  the  First  Reformed  Church,  Charlotte, 
when  he  was  to  preach.  It  was  Mother's  Day  and  he 
paid  a  glowing  tribute  to  his  mother,  saying  "All  that 
I  am  I  owe  to  my  mother."  Then  he  said:  "As  for 
my  father,  you  all  knew  my  father.  You  know  my 
father  was  a  man  of  many  activities.    The  fact  is,  we 


Residence  oe  the  Re,v.  J.  C.  Clapp,  D.  D., 
President  of  Catawba  College  from  1860-1900. 


(105) 


The  Great  President — Dr.  Clapp  107 

hardly  knew  him."  So  it  has  often  been  with  the 
leaders  in  the  work  of  the  Church.  They  have  given 
themselves  to  their  work  so  completely  that  their  fam- 
ilies were  effectually  robbed  of  husband  and  father. 
For  this  great  sacrifice  they  deserve  the  gratitude  of 
those  they  served. 

The  following  account  of  Dr.  Clapp's  death  and  bur- 
ial is  reproduced  just  as  it  appeared  in  the  Newton 
newspaper  : 

"While  his  death  had  been  expected  for  several  days, 
there  was  no  little  sorrow  when  it  was  known  over 
Newton  that  her  most  noted  citizen  had  passed  into 
the  great  beyond.  Dr.  Clapp  took  sick  on  the  second 
Sunday  in  June,  just  after  he  had  filled  his  appoint- 
ment in  Smyrna  Church.  He  came  home  Monday  and 
took  his  bed,  which  proved  to  be  his  death  bed.  The 
end  came  peacefully  about  12:30  Saturday  morning. 
His  death  was  due  to  a  complication  of  kidney  and  heart 
trouble.     .     .     . 

"There  was  a  short  service  held  at  the  home  by  the 
pastor,  Rev.  W.  W.  Rowe,  in  the  presence  of  the  im- 
mediate family  only,  at  11:15  Sunday.  About  11:30 
the  bell  at  the  Reformed  Church  began  to  toll  the  years 
of  her  former  faithful  pastor.  The  body  was  taken 
to  the  College  Chapel,  where  the  services  were  held. 
This  spacious  auditorium  was  already  filled  with  the 
doctor's  many  friends  and  admirers.  Hundreds  of 
these  had  been  under  his  tuition  in  the  past  on  these 
sacred  grounds,  made  more  sacred  by  the  presence  of 
the  lifeless  form  of  him,  who  had  given  so  many  years 
to  training  the  youth  of  this  and  a  former  generation. 


108  Catawba  College 

"As  the  body  was  brought  in,  the  choir  of  the  Re- 
formed church  sang  'Nearer  My  God  to  Thee.'  Rev. 
W.  W.  Rowe  had  charge  of  the  service.  On  the  rostrum 
were  twelve  ministers,  representing  five  denomina- 
tions. All  the  preaching  services  in  the  town  were 
called  off  in  the  morning  hour  out  of  respect  for  his 
memory. 

"By  request  of  the  deceased,  Dr.  J.  L.  Murphy  of 
Hickory  delivered  the  funeral  sermon  from  Zech.  14:7 
— 'It  shall  come  to  pass  that  at  evening  there  will  be 
light.'  This  was  one  of  Dr.  Clapp's  favorite  texts. 
Dr.  Murphy  told  of  the  deceased  as  a  great  preacher, 
a  great  teacher  and  a  strong  personality.  His  tribute 
was  both  beautiful  and  touching. 

"The  doctor's  favorite  hymns  were  used,  'My  Faith 
Looks  up  to  Thee,'  'Abide  with  Me,'  'Lead  Kindly 
Light.' 

"At  the  conclusion,  the  body  was  taken  to  the  front 
door,  and  placed  midway  in  the  aisle,  and  the  casket 
opened.  Then  as  the  congregation  passed  out  in  order 
everyone  could  view  the  face  of  this  'hero  of  the 
cross'  for  the  last  time.  The  pallbearers  were  min- 
isters and  elders  of  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina.  The 
body  was  taken  to  Eastview  cemetery  and  placed  in 
the  tomb  to  await  the  summons  on  the  resurrection 
morn." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Dr.  Clapp's  Great  Coworker — Dr.  John  A.  Foil. 

THE  MATERIAL  for  this  chapter  was  derived 
chiefly  from  an  interview  granted  to  Dr.  Hoke 
by  Mrs.  Foil  when  she  had  reached  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years.  Mrs.  Foil  told  how  her  father, 
Rev.  John  Lantz,  moved  from  Rowan  County  to  New- 
ton just  before  the  building  of  the  first  college  build- 
ing. At  the  age  of  three  she  walked  with  her  parents 
to  the  site  of  the  new  college  where  the  masons'  strings 
were  stretched,  and  the  piles  of  brick  ready  for  work 
of  construction  to  begin  on  the  following  day.  From 
that  time  to  this  day  Mrs.  Foil  has  been  more  or  less 
closely  associated  with  the  life  of  the  College.  She 
said  of  Dr.  Foil: 

"He  was  the  only  one  in  his  family  that  cared  any- 
thing about  being  educated.  He  was  determined  to 
have  an  education,  and  he  went  to  private  schools. 
He  was  to  be  seventeen  years  of  age  on  the  twelfth 
day  of  December.  He  knew  he  would  have  to  go  to 
war.  (The  Civil  War).  In  January  he  enlisted.  He 
did  not  want  to  go.  He  had  malaria.  The  war  was 
nearly  ended  and  anyone  with  sense  knew  how  it  was 
going.  He  knew  it  was  useless  but  he  went  and  was 
in  three  battles,  including  the  battle  of  Bentonville, 
the  last  battle  fought  in  the  East. 

"In  1867  Dr.  Foil  entered  Catawba  high  school, 
taught  by  Dr.  J.  C.  Clapp  and  Major  S.  M.  Finger, 

(109) 


110  Catawba  College 

and  completed  the  course  in  four  years,  paying  his 
way  by  tutoring  part  of  the  time.  During  vacations  he 
either  taught  or  sold  books  to  make  the  money  neces- 
sary to  complete  the  well-rounded  education  that  he 
eventually  obtained. 

"In  the  fall  of  1871  he  entered  the  junior  class  at 
Ursinus  College,  Pennsylvania,  and  at  the  same  time 
studied  theology  under  Dr.  Bomberger,  graduating 
from  both  schools  in  June,  1873,  with  the  first  class 
that  went  out  from  that  institution.  At  commence- 
ment he  delivered  the  philosophical  address.  Two 
days  later  he  married  Miss  Susan  C.  Lantz  at  Reading, 
Pa.,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Rev.  John  Lantz,  who 
served  in  the  North  Carolina  Classis  for  many  years. 

"In  the  summer  of  1873  Dr.  Foil  returned  to  Newton 
and  became  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  Catawba  Col- 
lege, teaching  at  first  mental  and  moral  science  and 
Greek.  He  taught  Greek  for  many  years  and  was 
recognized  as  a  master  in  that  branch.  He  then  taught 
natural  science  and  mathematics,  and  in  this  last  sub- 
ject he  had  no  superior  in  the  State.  Not  infrequently 
knotty  problems  were  sent  to  him  from  outside  points, 
for  solution. 

"And  so  for  29  years  he  continued  to  teach,  touching 
the  lives  of  hundreds  upon  hundreds  of  boys  and  girls, 
and  rendering  a  class  of  service  that  could  not  have 
been  commanded  by  the  school  for  anything  like  the 
salary  paid  Dr.  Foil,  had  he  not  been  more  in  love 
with  his  life's  work  and  cared  more  for  being  useful 
to  his  church  and  school  than  he  did  for  money. 

"About  this  time  he  resigned  and  became  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  Union  cotton  mills  at  Maiden,  in 


Dr.  J.  A.  Foil. 


(Ill) 


Dr.  Clapp's  Great  Coworker — Dr.  John  A.  Foil  113 

which  he  was  financially  interested,  and  served  in  that 
capacity  for  eight  years.  Then  in  1910  the  board  of 
trustees  called  him  back  to  the  chair  of  mathematics 
and  science  and  made  him  vice-president  of  the  college. 
He  had  already  been  elected  president  of  the  board. 
He  continued  with  the  school  until  his  health  gave 
way  about  a  year  ago,  and  he  was  forced  to  give  up 
the  class  room.  At  commencement  last  spring  he  was 
made  professor  emeritus. 

"Dr.  Foil  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Philadelphia 
Classis  in  1873,  and  was  received  by  the  North  Caro- 
lina Classis  in  1874,  was  ordained  shortly  afterward, 
and  with  Dr.  Clapp  served  all  of  the  ten  congregations 
in  the  western  part  of  the  Classis.  His  sermons  were 
always  impressive,  for  he  always  had  a  message  for 
his  congregations.  His  discourses  were  marked  by 
polish  and  depth  of  thought.  But  it  was  as  a  teacher 
that  he  excelled.  He  was  a  ripe  scholar,  a  natural 
teacher  who  had  the  happy  faculty  of  imparting  in- 
struction. Mathematics,  dry,  uninteresting  and  ab- 
horred by  the  general  run  of  students,  in  his  hands  be- 
came easy  and  interesting. 

"Dr.  Foil  received  from  Ursinus  College  the  degrees 
of  A.  B.,  B.  D.,  A.  M.,  and  Ph.  D.,  the  last  being  be- 
stowed in  1889  'for  distinguished  scholarship,'  and 
was  as  unsought  as  unexpected. 

"Dr.  Foil  is  survived  by  Mrs.  Foil  and  three  daugh- 
ters, Misses  Helen,  Miriam  and  Ethel  Foil;  and  a  great 
host  of  old  students,  associates  in  school  and  church, 
and  friends  in  all  walks  of  life  who  echo  the  'Well 
done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant'  which  greeted 
this  good  and  useful  man  when  he  passed  from  earth 


114  Catawba  College 

to  that  Kingdom  whose  livery  he  wore  and  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  which  he  labored  throughout  his  life 
among  us. 

"After  Dr.  Foil  went  home  from  the  army  General 
James  A.  Lane,  a  Confederate  General,  educated  at 
West  Point,  started  a  High  School  at  Concord.  Dr. 
Foil  was  one  of  his  pupils.  I  suppose  it  was  General 
Lane  that  gave  him  his  love  for  mathematics.  I  met 
Dr.  Foil  at  Newton  that  same  fall.  Dr.  Clapp  intro- 
duced him  to  me.  Some  weeks  later  he  said :  'Sue, 
I'll  tell  you,  I  have  a  student  in  school  who  has  a  won- 
derful genius  for  languages.'  I  said :  'Oh,  yes,  you 
introduced  him  to  me.'  He  said :  'Yes,  he  is  a  per- 
fect genius  for  languages.'  After  General  Lane  left 
Concord  Dr.  Foil  went  to  Newton  to  school  for  four 
years.  He  made  his  way  by  working  in  vacation,  and 
they  gave  him  tutoring  to  do.  Later  he  went  to  Ur si- 
nus College  and  graduated  in  the  first  graduating  class, 
with  three  others — Rev.  F.  F.  Banner,  Rev.  H.  T. 
Spangler  and  a  Strassburger,  who  became  a  lawyer 
in  Philadelphia.  Dr.  Foil's  most  intimate  friend  at 
Collegeville  was  F.  F.  Bahner.  Dr.  Super  was  a  cel- 
ebrated mathematician  and  teacher  at  Ursinus  when 
Dr.  Foil  was  there.  He  wanted  Dr.  Foil  as  his  suc- 
cessor in  Mathematics  but  he  couldn't  go.  He  was  too 
much  devoted  to  Catawba  and  my  mother  lived  with 
us,  and  when  he  was  invited  to  apply  for  the  position, 
my  mother  said :  'Well,  I  don't  want  to  keep  Dr. 
Foil  back  from  any  advancement.  You  and  Susie  can 
go  if  you  want  to  go,  but  I'll  not  go.  I'll  stay  and  live 
out  my  days  at  Newton.'  Dr.  Foil  said :  'That  settles 
it,  Grandma,  we'll  not  go.' 


(115) 


Dr.  Clapp's  Great  Coworker — Dr.  John  A.  Foil  117 

"Dr.  Foil  was  the  one  who  first  had  the  idea  of 
starting  the  college  again  from  the  High  School.  Dr. 
Clapp  was  not  very  ardent  for  the  change  to  the  Col- 
lege. Dr.  Foil  was  in  favor  of  the  classical  education 
all  the  time,  with  the  full  curriculum,  regular  and 
loaded  down,  and  opposed  to  electives. 

"There  are  people  who  worshipped  Dr.  Clapp  like 
a  god.  Some  old  ladies  said  they  thought  Dr.  Clapp 
was  next  to  Jesus  Christ.  He  had  a  great  personality. 
He  could  go  among  people  to  the  very  lowest  and 
adapt  himself.  He  would  talk  to  them  about  crops  and 
babies.  Dr.  Foil  could  not  do  that  so  well.  Dr.  Clapp 
was  a  very  stern  man.  He  favored  corporal  punish- 
ment. During  the  war  he  would  thrash  boys  sometimes, 
but  later  when  we  had  boys  exclusively  and  even  after 
it  was  a  'co-ed'  school,  he  would  make  the  boys  cut  off 
stumps, — take  an  axe  and  work  away  at  a  stump  un- 
til they  cut  it  down  to  the  ground.  The  Methodist 
preacher,  Mr.  Ivey,  had  his  son  Eugene  and  other 
children  in  the  school.  Eugene  was  insubordinate.  Dr. 
Clapp  put  him  to  cutting  a  stump — a  tremendous  one. 
He  soon  threw  down  the  axe  and  said  he  was  not  strong 
enough  and  he  couldn't  do  it.  His  father  backed  him 
up.  Dr.  Clapp  and  the  faculty  had  him  expelled.  Mr. 
Ivey  determined  to  fight  this  action.  He  would  not 
have  the  disgrace.  He  looked  up  the  by-laws  and  found 
the  faculty  could  suspend  but  only  the  Trustees  could 
expel.  He  took  it  to  old  Col.  McCorkle.  He  said : 
'Yes,  that's  so.  He's  got  you.'  They  had  to  take  him 
back.  He  later  went  to  Trinity  and  studied  electricity 
and  invented  a  number  of  things.  I  think  he  lives 
at  Mooresville  now. 


118  Catawba  College 

"The  salary  of  Dr.  Clapp  at  the  highest  was  $700. 
Dr.  Foil  began  at  $300  and  his  highest  salary  was 
$600.  For  this  he  taught  every  day  and  preached  on 
Sunday.  Dr.  Clapp,  however,  managed  to  accumulate 
something.  The  faculty  usually  numbered  about  ten. 
For  a  long  time  they  ran  a  primary  department  and 
then  had  even  more  than  ten.  Teachers  usually  got 
about  $500.  In  addition  to  the  salaries  Dr.  Clapp  and 
Dr.  Foil  were  allowed  to  send  their  children  through 
college  free  of  charge. 

"When  UJrsinus  College  conferred  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Divinity  upon  Dr.  Clapp,  he  walked  over 
to  our  house,  and  Dr.  Foil  said :  'So  you  are  Doctor 
now.'  He  said,  'Yes,  I  came  to  tell  you,  I  don't  know 
what  to  do  with  it.  What  will  I  do  with  it?  Can  I 
send  it  back?  I  don't  deserve  it.  I  don't  claim  to  be 
a  theologian.  Can't  I  send  it  back?'  Dr.  Clapp  was 
older  and  looked  on  Dr.  Foil  as  his  son.  At  Dr. 
Clapp's  funeral  Dr.  Foil  was  asked  to  make  a  few  re- 
marks. Dr.  Foil  said :  'I  feel  like  I  was  at  the  funeral 
of  my  father.'  It  was  very  difficult  for  him  to  make 
remarks.  Dr.  Clapp  was  very  strict  with  his  own 
family  and  never  seemed  to  know  his  own  children. 
He  really  seemed  to  look  upon  Dr.  Foil  as  a  son. 

"Both  men  were  very  modest.  From  time  to  time 
the  Trustees,  when  looking  for  a  President,  would  say : 
'Dr.  Foil,  why  don't  you  take  it?'  He  would  say:  'I 
can't  stand  the  responsibility.  I  have  more  than  I 
can  stand  now.  I  hate  discipline  and  we  must  have  it.' 
His  salary  was  never  more  than  $600.  He  subscribed 
$600  to  the  college,  to  pay  the  interest  his  lifetime 
and  the  principal  at  his  death.    We  kept  boarders  and 


(119) 


Dr.  Clapp's  Great  Coworker — Dr.  John  A.  Foil  121 

I  coached  and  we  tried  to  keep  out  of  debt.     At  the 
end  of  the  year  he  always  turned  back  $36. 

"Martin   Carpenter  at  Maiden  persuaded  Dr.  Foil 
to  take  some  stock  in  the  Union  Mills.     Later  when 
Dr.   Foil's   health   was   failing  he   persuaded   him  to 
come  and  be  Secretary-Treasurer  of  the  Union  Cotton 
Mills.     He  was  in  this  position  seven  or  eight  years. 
He  always  remained  a  Trustee  and  one  of  the  Execu- 
tive Committee.     He  discovered  that  his  trouble  was 
arterial  sclerosis.     Worry  made  it  worse.     The  Mills 
were  in  bad  shape.     They  had  to  borrow  money  to 
buy  cotton.     When  they  urged  Dr.  Foil  to  come  back 
into  the  school  he  said :     'I  expect  I  must  come  back 
for  my  moral  support  whether  I  can  teach  or  not.     It 
seems    I  must    always    be  between    the    College    and 
trouble,  somehow  or  other.'     I  went  behind  the  house 
and  cried  when  he  accepted,  for  I  knew  he  was  not 
able  to  teach.     He  had  hardening  of  the  arteries  and 
a  leaking  heart  and  ought  not  to  have  had  any  worry 
whatever.     He  came  back  and  stood  up  a  year  to  it. 
In  the  summer  he  began  to  fail  and  get  so  dizzy  that 
he  staggered  when  he  walked.     The  Potomac  Synod 
met  that  fall,  1911.     Mr.  Buchheit's  inauguration  was 
at  Newton  and  Synod  came  down  from  Hickory  for 
the  inauguration.     Dr.   Spangler  Kieffer  was  at  our 
house  and  was  talking  to  me  about  Dr.  Foil  not  being 
well.     I   said   'They  appointed  him  to  introduce   Mr. 
Buchheit.'     I  said,  'He  is  just  not  able  to  do  it.     He 
is  too  nervous.'    They  all  insisted  he  had  to  do  it.  Dr. 
Kieffer  asked  me  whether  his  mind  was  affected  at 
all.     I  said,  'No,  only  he  thinks  more  slowly  and  gets 
so  nervous.'     He  said,  'Well,  just  tell  him  to  have  it 


122  Catawba  College 

short,  and  he  will  soon  get  over  it.'  I  went  into  the 
library.  He  had  a  tablet  as  if  starting  to  write  some- 
thing about  what  he  should  say.  He  would  lay  it 
down  and  look  so  nervous  and  worried  and  finally  he 
said:  'Well,  I  just  can't  do  it.  I  can't  write  this 
thing.'  I  said,  'Well,  you  just  make  some  notes,  what 
you  want  to  say,  and  I'll  write  it.'  He  did,  and  I 
wrote  Dr.  Foil's  introduction  of  Mr.  Buchheit  before 
the  Potomac  Synod  in  the  inauguration.  I  have  the 
outline  of  it  yet  somewhere." 

From  the  Reformed  Church  Standard  we  reproduce 
the  following: 

Funeral  of  Dr.  Foil. 

Beloved  Teacher  and  Preacher  laid  to  rest  in  East- 
view — close  of  a  long  and  useful  life. 

The  funeral  of  Dr.  J.  A.  Foil,  who  passed  away 
Thursday  night  at  10  :30  at  his  home  here,  was  held 
Saturday  morning  at  10:30.  Pastor  W.  W.  Rowe  of 
the  Reformed  church  conducted  the  liturgical  service 
of  the  church  at  the  home  assisted  by  Dr.  J.  L.  Mur- 
phy, and  interment  was  made  in  Eastview  cemetery. 

A  large  number  of  people  attended  the  service  and 
followed  the  remains  to  the  grave.  "Lead  Kindly 
Light"  was  rendered  very  beautifully  by  Catawba  Col- 
lege students  and  students  also  acted  as  pallbearers — 
Messrs.  John  S.  Carpenter,  Noah  H.  Fravel,  Harvey 
A.  Fesperman,  Augustus  Peeler,  Phillip  Smith,  J.  K. 
McConnell,  J.  D.  Corriher  and  C.  E.  Brown.  The 
floral  offerings  at  the  cemetery  were  very  numerous 
and  very  beautiful. 


Dr.  Clapp's  Great  Coworker — Dr.  John  A.  Foil  123 

Dr.  Foil  was  a  native  of  Cabarrus  county,  born  De- 
cember 12,  1847,  and  was  therefore  almost  65  years 
of  age.  He  was  the  third  son  of  Allison  and  Margaret 
Foil,  and  until  about  18  years  of  age  spent  his  life  on 
the  farm.  His  preliminary  education  was  secured  in 
private  schools  taught  by  good  teachers,  two  of  whom 
had  been  students  at  Catawba  College — then  a  high 
school.  Possessed  of  a  keen  desire  for  knowledge,  com- 
bined with  a  natural  disposition  to  be  thorough,  he 
made  rapid  advance  and  was  well  prepared  when  he 
sought  higher  education. 

At  the  age  of  17  he  volunteered  as  a  soldier  of  the 
South,  and  became  a  member  of  Company  E.  Second 
Regiment,  North  Carolina  Junior  Reserves,  which  went 
out  from  Concord,  and  he  served  for  three  months, 
or  until  the  war  ended.  During  this  time  he  was  in 
Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston's  army  and  participated  in 
three  battles,  the  last  one  being  at  Bentonville. 

From  Mr.  Whitener's  History  of  Education  in  Ca- 
tawba County  we  learn  that 

"On  July  2,  1894,  Reverend  J.  A.  Foil,  who  was 
chairman  of  the  board  of  education,  resigned  from  the 
board  to  succeed  R.  A.  Yoder  as  county  superintendent. 
R.  A.  Yoder  had  held  this  office  since  about  1881. 
Foil  served  only  one  year,  for  on  July  3,  1895,  the 
county  commissioners  took  over  the  work  with  little 
interruption  to  the  schools  resulting  from  the  change 
of  boards." 

Dr.  Foil  therefore  served  for  a  time  as  County  Su- 
perintendent of  Schools.  Doubtless  a  more  complete 
account  of  his  life  would  reveal  many  other  forms  of 
service  to  his  Church  and  his  community.    Modest  and 


124  Catawba  College 

unassuming,  he  was  the  type  of  man  who  renders  a 
greater  service  than  the  world  realizes.  Surely  it  will 
be  impossible  for  this  history  to  make  an  adequate  es- 
timate or  give  a  worthy  account  of  his  life  and  labors. 
Laboring  together,  he  and  Dr.  Clapp  presided  over 
the  affairs  of  the  College  during  a  period  which  we  may 
now  look  back  upon  as  a  golden  age  of  the  past.  To 
Rev.  Dr.  J.  A.  Foil,  Catawba  owes  much. 

Mrs.  Foil,  before  her  marriage,  taught  for  two  years 
at  the  Allentown  Female  Seminary  (now  Cedar  Crest 
College)  under  Rev.  W.  R.  Hofford,  the  first  Presi- 
dent. She  began  her  work  in  that  institution  after  one 
class  had  graduated.  She  always  taught  or  tutored  so 
long  as  she  was  associated  with  Catawba  College.  Her 
sister,  Miss  Willie  A.  Lantz,  was  for  many  years  a 
teacher  and  administrative  officer  in  Hood  College,  and 
when  the  new  Catawba  opened  its  doors  at  Salisbury, 
returned  to  Catawba  to  become  Registrar  and  Dean  of 
Women. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Development  of  the  College  and  the  Classis. 

THE  FORTUNES  of  Catawba  College  and  the 
Classis  of  North  Carolina  have  been  most  closely 
united  through  the  whole  history  of  the  former. 
In  the  early  years  neither  of  them  was  the  recipient 
of  any  large  benefactions.  In  later  years  both  the 
Classis  and  the  College  have  fared  much  better.  Dur- 
ing the  last  several  years  the  Board  of  Home  Missions 
has  been  very  generous  in  establishing  churches  and 
supporting  missionaries  in  North  Carolina. 

The  Forward  Movement,  inaugurated  by  the  General 
Synod  in  1919,  has  been  a  blessing  to  the  Classis  and 
to  Catawba  College.  The  College  was  placed  in  the 
general  budget  for  $125,000,  and  in  the  Home  Mission 
budget  for  an  additional  $200,000.  This  made  a  total 
of  $325,000.  While  the  total  sum  was  by  no  means 
reached,  the  college  received  a  generous  amount  of 
money,  as  noted  in  another  chapter. 

In  1856  the  Classis  received  a  donation  of  fifty  dol- 
lars from  an  unknown  friend  in  New  York  "for  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel  in  the  South."  In  1860  the  Clas- 
sis gave  its  endorsement  to  a  plan  to  raise  a  fund  of 
$60,000  for  the  endowment  of  Catawba  College.  Con- 
siderable of  the  amount  was  received  in  bonds,  which 
the  Civil  War  rendered  worthless.  In  1863  Mr.  John 
Hileman,  an  elder  in  the  West  Rowan  Charge,  donated 

(125) 


126  Catawba  College 

to  Classis  the  sum  of  $220.50.  In  1864  the  Classis  de- 
cided to  increase  the  amount  to  $5,000,  to  be  invested 
for  the  benefit  of  indigent  widows  of  deceased  minis- 
ters of  the  Classis,  and  agents  were  appointed  in  each 
charge  for  the  purpose.  But  the  war  also  rendered 
this  worthy  cause  of  no  avail. 

The  Classis,  while  unable  to  give  large  sums  in  sup- 
port of  any  particular  cause,  has  always  done  its  best 
to  help  along  places  that  needed  assistance.  There  are 
but  few  congregations  in  the  Classis  that  have  not  in 
some  way  been  her  beneficiaries.  In  the  early  years 
assistance  was  rendered  rather  in  giving  help  in  the 
support  of  missionaries,  and  in  later  years  in  aiding 
to  build  houses  of  worship.  In  1860  the  sum  of  $200 
was  appropriated  to  assist  in  supporting  the  pastor  of 
the  church  at  Newton.  At  the  same  time  provision  was 
made  to  supplement  the  salary  of  the  pastor  of  the 
Grace  Charge  (Grace,  Bethel,  and  the  mission  at  Hick- 
ory Tavern).  When  the  Classis  met  at  Emanuel 
Church,  Davidson  County,  in  1871,  one  of  the  items 
coming  up  for  consideration  was  an  appeal  in  behalf 
of  the  Reformed  Church  at  Hickory.  The  Classis  took 
favorable  action,  as  follows :  ''Whereas,  the  prospects 
of  the  Reformed  congregation  at  Hickory  Station  are 
of  unusual  promise,  and  as  the  effort  at  that  place  de- 
serves support,  Resolved,  That  this  Classis  approves 
of  the  effort  to  erect  a  house  of  worship  at  this  place, 
and  will  do  all  it  can  to  encourage  the  important  work ; 
that  this  enterprise  be  recommended  to  the  Church  and 
people  under  the  care  of  Classis  as  worthy  of  the  be- 
stowment  of  their  means  upon  it;  that  the  ministers 
of  Classis  be  not  unmindful  of  this  claim  and  bring  it 


o 


W 


(127) 


Development  of  the  College  and  the  Classis  129 

to  the  notice  of  their  people;  that  the  appeal  of  our 
brethren  abroad  be  endorsed  by  this  Classis  as  an  ur- 
gent one  and  worthy  object  of  liberality." 

In  1872  the  Classis  undertook  to  establish  a  "Mis- 
sion House"  for  the  training  of  students  for  the  min- 
istry. A  committee  was  appointed  to  draw  up  regula- 
tions for  the  conduct  of  such  an  institution,  and  to 
receive  proposals  for  its  location  and  funds  for  its 
support.  The  enterprise  proved  impracticable,  and 
was  dropped  the  next  year.  But  the  effort  shows  the 
anxiety  of  the  people  to  secure  ministers.  In  1891  the 
Synod  of  the  Potomac,  in  session  at  Chambersburg, 
Pennsylvania,  appointed  a  committee  to  confer  with 
the  Classis  of  North  Carolina  and  the  Trustees  of  Ca- 
tawba College  on  the  subject  of  establishing  a  theo- 
logical department  in  that  institution.  This  action  was 
in  answer  to  a  request  from  the  executive  committee 
of  the  Trustees  that  such  a  department  be  established. 
That  committee  reported  to  the  next  Synod  in  favor  of 
the  work,  and  the  Synod  pledged  the  sum  of  $1,000  an- 
nually for  five  years  for  the  support  of  a  professor  of 
theology.  The  Synod  also  agreed  to  raise  an  endow- 
ment fund  of  $25,000,  and  appointed  a  committee  to 
mature  a  plan.  The  several  Classes  of  the  Synod  had 
in  the  meantime  assumed  the  amounts  apportioned  for 
the  support  of  the  professor.  Rev.  Wm.  C.  Schaeffer, 
Ph.  D.,  was  elected  to  the  position  and  provision  was 
made  for  his  inauguration.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Schaeffer, 
however,  declined  to  accept  the  position.  The  Synod  in 
session  at  York,  Pennsylvania,  the  next  year  took  the 
following  action :  "Resolved,  That  because  of  the 
changed  condition  of  affairs  in  the  Classis  of  North 


130  Catawba  College 

Carolina,  making  the  election  of  a  theological  professor 
at  this  time  unnecessary,  the  election  of  such  professor 
be  indefinitely  postponed.  Resolved,  That  the  agency  for 
securing  an  endowment  fund  be  discontinued.  Resolved, 
That  the  several  Classes  contributing  this  fund  be  re- 
quested to  turn  the  same  over  to  the  Trustees  of  Cataw- 
ba College  for  the  use  of  the  general  endowment  fund." 
The  theological  department  was  dropped  by  the  Synod. 
The  time  given  to  its  consideration  was  not  lost.  The 
attention  of  the  Church  in  the  North  was  called  to  the 
great  mission  field  offered  by  North  Carolina  to  the  Re- 
formed Church.  The  Classis  of  North  Carolina  made 
far  more  substantial  progress  in  the  years  when  the 
great  subject  of  Christian  Education  for  her  people 
was  before  the  Synod  than  during  any  previous  simi- 
lar period.  Wider  publicity  was  given  to  the  consid- 
eration of  the  work  in  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina. 

In  1895,  at  the  Synod  in  session  at  Frederick,  Mary- 
land, the  delegates  from  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina 
presented  an  overture  from  the  executive  committee  of 
the  Trustees  of  Catawba  College  asking  that  Synod's 
action  of  last  year  in  regard  to  the  theological  profes- 
sorship be  reconsidered  and  reversed.  The  Synod  did 
not  grant  the  request,  but  instead  invited  the  Classis  of 
North  Carolina  to  consider  the  propriety  of  placing 
Catawba  College  under  the  care  of  the  Synod  of  the 
Potomac.  Rev.  Dr.  J.  O.  Miller,  Rev.  Dr.  E.  R.  Esch- 
bach  and  Gen.  John  E.  Roller  were  appointed  to  confer 
with  the  Classis  and  formulate  a  plan  for  this  purpose. 
The  Classis  met  in  Newton,  December  9,  1895,  and  ap- 
pointed Rev.  J.  C.  Clapp,  D.  D.,  Rev.  J.  L.  Murphy,  Rev. 
J.  C.  Leonard,  Col.  M.  L.  McCorkle  and  Maj.  S.  M.  Fin- 


It:  tiffs  j  sit 


Grace  Reformed  Church,  Newton. 
Attended  by   Professors   and   Stu- 
dents. 


The  Chapel. 


(131) 


Development  of  the  College  and  the  Classis  133 

ger  as  a  committee  to  confer  with  the  Synod's  commit- 
tee. These  committees  agreed  upon  a  plan  which  was 
submitted  to  both  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina  and 
the  Synod  of  the  Potomac,  and  the  plan  was  approved 
by  both  bodies.  By  this  plan  the  Classis  conceded  to 
the  Synod  the  nomination  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Col- 
lege, and  the  Synod  agreed  to  provide  the  College  with 
an  additional  endowment  fund  of  $17,000,  and  to  pay 
the  interest  on  the  same  until  the  principal  was  paid. 
The  College  remains  the  property  of  the  Classis  of 
North  Carolina,  but  is  under  the  fostering  care  of  the 
Synod  of  the  Potomac. 

The  plan  agreed  upon  by  the  joint  committee  and  ap- 
proved by  both  the  Synod  of  the  Potomac  and  the 
Classis  of  North  Carolina  follows : 

To  the  Reverend  Classis  of  North  Carolina:  Your 
committee  appointed  at  a  special  meeting  of  the  Clas- 
sis, held  in  Grace  Church,  Newton,  N.  C,  December  9, 
1895,  to  confer  with  a  committee  of  the  Synod  of  the 
Potomac  and  to  devise  plans  by  which  Catawba  College 
may  be  placed  under  the  care  of  the  Synod,  beg  leave 
to  make  the  following  report:  A  joint  meeting  of  the 
committees  was  held  in  the  town  of  Newton,  N.  C, 
on  February  12,  1896,  when  the  following  action  was 
taken : 

Responding  to  the  overture  of  the  Potomac  Synod 
recently  in  session  in  Frederick,  Maryland,  and  the 
action  of  the  North  Carolina  Classis  in  regard  thereto, 
we  the  undersigned  committees  of  the  said  Synod  and 
of  the  said  Classis  appointed  to  consider  said  overture, 
beg  leave  to  report  that  we  have  agreed  upon  the  fol- 
lowing plan,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  said  Synod 


134  Catawba  College 

and  of  the  said  Classis,  relative  to  placing  Catawba 
College  under  the  care  of  said  Synod : 

I.  The  Classis  concedes  to  the  Synod  of  the  Poto- 
mac the  nomination  of  the  Trustees  of  the  College,  who 
shall  make  report  annually  to  the  said  Synod,  and 
agrees  to  choose  in  accordance  with  the  charter  of  the 
said  College  passed  in  1852  those  that  may  be  nomi- 
nated; and  further  agrees  to  make  provision  as  soon 
as  practicable  to  allow  the  nominations  to  be  made  as 
aforesaid. 

II.  In  consideration  of  the  concession  by  said  Clas- 
sis as  herein  expressed,  the  Synod  of  the  Potomac 
agrees  to  furnish  one  thousand  dollars  annually  to 
the  Trustees  of  said  College  until  at  least  seventeen 
thousand  dollars  of  endowment,  additional  to  that 
which  the  College  now  has,  shall  be  raised  by  an  agent 
of  the  Trustees  of  said  College,  or  otherwise ;  and  that 
the  said  sum  of  seventeen  thousand  dollars  be  raised 
as  speedily  as  possible. 

III.  With  this  addition  to  the  endowment,  that  fund 
will  still  be  far  short  of  the  needs  of  the  College  and 
its  prospective  work,  and  we  recommend  that  the 
Trustees  prosecute  the  work  of  endowment  until  the 
needs  shall  be  fully  met. 

Respectfully  submitted, 


J.  0.  Miller, 

) 

E.  R.  Eschbach, 

) 

For  the  Synod 

J.  E.  Roller, 

) 

Development  of  the  College  and  the  Classis  135 

J.  L.  Murphy,  ) 

J.  C.  Clapp,  ) 

J.  C.  Leonard,  )     For  the  Classis. 

M.  L.  McCorkle,       ) 

S.  M.  Finger.  ) 

The  Trustees  of  the  College  subsequently  appointed 
Rev.  J.  C.  Leonard  agent  to  collect  the  sum  of  $17,000 
within  the  Synod  and  also  to  be  the  general  field  secre- 
tary. In  the  meantime  an  apportionment  was  laid  by 
Synod  upon  the  several  Classes  to  pay  the  interest  on 
this  sum  until  the  endowment  should  be  raised.  The 
full  sum  was  eventually  secured  and  now  forms  a 
part  of  the  general  endowment  of  the  college. 

In  1903  Mr.  George  G.  Solliday,  of  Hagerstown, 
Maryland,  who  had  at  heart  the  interest  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  North  Carolina,  donated  to  the 
Trustees  of  Catawba  College  a  fund  of  $15,000  (after- 
wards increased  to  $20,000)  to  establish  a  theological 
professorship  at  such  time  as  the  Trustees  may  deem 
this  step  necessary.  In  the  meantime  the  accrued  in- 
terest on  the  fund  was  to  be  used  in  assisting  to  build 
mission  churches  in  North  Carolina.  In  1905  this 
fund  was  changed  to  a  "Beneficiary  Education  Fund." 
From  the  interest  on  this  fund  a  student  for  the  min- 
istry pursuing  his  course  at  Catawba  College  and  a 
Reformed  Theological  Seminary  is  entitled  to  one  hun- 
dred dollars  annually.  Any  part  of  the  interest  not  so 
used  goes  into  another  permanent  fund,  to  be  loaned 
to  mission  churches  in  the  South  at  a  low  rate  of  in- 
terest on  easy  payments.  The  full  conditions  of  this 
fund  follow: 


136  Catawba  College 

First,  The  interest  of  this  fund,  to  the  extent  that 
there  may  be  need,  shall  be  used  in  aiding  poor  but 
worthy  students  who  are  members  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  obtaining  a  Classical  and  Theological  Edu- 
cation for  the  Christian  Ministry  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  the  United  States.  Such  classical  course 
shall  be  taken  at  Catawba  College,  and  shall  embrace 
the  full  course  of  studies  as  prescribed  by  said  college. 
The  theological  course  shall  be  taken  at  one  of  the 
Theological  Seminaries  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
the  United  States,  and  shall  embrace  the  full  regular 
course  as  prescribed  by  such  Theological  Seminary. 

(A)  The  beneficiary  aid  to  be  given  to  any  one 
student  while  pursuing  his  studies,  whether  in  Catawba 
College  or  in  the  Theological  Seminary,  shall  not  ex- 
ceed $100.00  for  any  one  year.  This  amount,  while 
such  student  is  at  Catawba  College,  shall  be  paid  di- 
rectly by  the  Treasurer  of  the  Trustees  of  the  College 
to  the  Treasurer  of  the  College,  and  applied  by  him 
to  the  yearly  expense  of  such  student.  While  such 
student  is  at  the  Theological  Seminary,  the  money 
shall  be  paid  to  him  and  applied  to  the  actual  neces- 
sary expenses  involved  by  pursuing  his  regular  course 
as  required  by  such  Theological  Seminary. 

The  course  of  such  beneficiary  student,  whether  in 
College  or  in  the  Seminary,  shall  be  continuous,  sub- 
ject only  to  the  regular  vacation  periods. 

(B)  Before  any  student  or  prospective  student 
shall  be  eligible  as  a  beneficiary  of  this  fund  he  must 
be  carefully  examined  by  a  committee  of  the  Classis 
within  whose  bounds  Catawba  College  is  located,  of 
which   committee  the   President   of   Catawba   College 


(137) 


Development  of  the  College  and  the  Classis  139 

shall  be  a  member,  and  received  under  the  care  of  said 
Classis.  This  examination  shall  have  particular  ref- 
erence to  the  candidate's  health,  moral  character,  pur- 
pose for  entering  the  Christian  Ministry,  and  prospects 
for  good  success  in  such  ministry.  It  shall  be  the  duty 
of  such  student  to  apply  himself  diligently  to  his  stud- 
ies, to  be  a  worthy  example  to  his  fellow  students, 
and  to  make  annual  report  to  the  Classis  under  whose 
care  he  is. 

(C)  A  further  requirement  on  the  part  of  such 
student  is,  that  he  pledge  himself  to  give  the  first  ten 
years  of  his  Christian  Ministry  in  the  service  of  the 
Reformed  Church  in  the  South,  and  that  he  give  a 
bona-fide  bond  that  should  he  not  faithfully  carry  out 
such  pledge,  his  bondsmen  shall  be  liable,  and  the  mon- 
ey advanced  to  him  paid  by  them  to  the  Treasurer  of 
the  Trustees  of  Catawba  College,  and  applied  to  the 
fund  hereafter  created,  to  be  known  as  "The  Mrs.  Re- 
becca Solliday  Church  Building  Fund." 

(D)  Such  beneficiary  student,  while  at  Catawba 
College,  shall  be  a  boarding  student,  save  in  the  event 
that  the  College  should  not  conduct  a  boarding  de- 
partment. 

Second.  The  interest  on  this  fund,  known  as 
"The  George  G.  Solliday  Fund/'  not  needed  in  the  sup- 
port of  students  after  the  aforementioned  manner, 
shall  be  used  to  create  a  second  fund,  the  same  to  be 
known  as  "The  Mrs.  Rebecca  Solliday  Church  Building 
Fund."  From  this  fund,  sums  not  exceeding  $1,000 
shall  be  loaned  to  mission  churches  at  not  more  than  2 
per  cent.  In  view  of  this  low  per  cent  the  church  to 
which  the  sum  shall  be  loaned  shall  meet  all  the  neces- 


140  Catawba  College 

sary  expenses  involved  in  securing  the  loan.  The 
amount  loaned  shall  be  used  in  the  erection  of  a  church, 
and  for  no  other  purpose,  as  for  instance  the  building 
of  a  parsonage.  It  shall  be  fully  secured,  preferably 
by  first  mortgage,  the  lot  being  unincumbered  when 
the  loan  is  made.  The  loan  shall  be  made  for  a  period 
of  not  more  than  five  years,  and  at  the  expiration  of 
such  period,  shall  be  paid  back  in  full,  and  again 
loaned  after  the  aforementioned  manner,  and  so  on  in- 
definitely. 

(A)  The  interest  accruing  from  the  2  per  cent 
rate  shall  be  added  to  the  original  fund  known  as  "The 
Mrs.  Rebecca  Solliday  Church  Building  Fund." 

(B)  This  fund  shall  be  under  the  direction  of  a 
committee  representing  the  Trustees  of  Catawba  Col- 
lege, and  the  Classis  within  whose  bounds  said  College 
is  located. 

It  is  further  directed  that  should  unforeseen  condi- 
tions arise  which  would  make  this  gift,  or  any  part  of 
it,  inactive  after  the  aforementioned  stipulations,  the 
Trustees  of  Catawba  College  shall  have  power  to  di- 
rect such  fund  as  may  have  become  inactive,  with  how- 
ever the  proviso  that  it  be  used  as  nearly  as  possible 
after  the  manner  herein  stipulated,  and  always  with 
the  view  of  serving  the  best  interest  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  the  United  States  in  the  South. 

In  1899  a  friend  in  the  State  of  Virginia  established 
the  "William  Wirt  Roller  Scholarship"  in  Catawba 
College  and  endowed  the  same  in  the  sum  of  $500.  The 
same  year  Rev.  Geo.  B.  Russell,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  of 
Waynesboro,  Pennsylvania,  gave  to  the  college  a  deed 
for  880  acres  of  land  in  Somerset  County  of  that  State. 


Development  of  the  College  and  the  Classis  141 

This  land  did  not  prove  to  be  as  valuable  as  the  kind- 
hearted  donor  anticipated.  It  was  eventually  sold  by 
the  Trustees  for  the  sum  of  $2000.00,  during  the  ad- 
ministration of  President  Andrew. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Struggles  During  and  Following  the  Civil  War. 

OTHER  CHURCHES  in  the  United  States  were 
divided  on  the  line  of  slavery;  not  so  with  the 
Reformed  Church.  The  Classis  of  North  Caro- 
lina seceded  from  the  Synod,  but  for  another  reason. 
That  which  finally  led  to  the  withdrawal  was  the  so- 
called  "Mercersburg  Theology."  The  first  mention  of  the 
subject  is  given  in  the  proceedings  of  the  annual 
meeting  at  Brick  Church,  in  1852,  when  doubt  was  ex- 
pressed as  to  the  soundness  of  the  theology  taught  in 
the  Seminary.  For  some  reason  not  mentioned  no 
delegates  were  elected  that  year  to  represent  the  Clas- 
sis in  the  Synod,  which  was  to  meet  in  Baltimore. 
When  the  Classis  met  at  Pilgrim  Church  in  special 
session,  April  13,  1853,  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
examine  into  the  teachings  of  Mercersburg  and  report 
in  full  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Classis  on  the  doc- 
trines, with  their  tendencies  and  effects.  Revs.  Messrs. 
G.  W.  Welker,  Jeremiah  Ingold  and  Elder  Jacob  Ber- 
rier  constituted  the  committee.  The  regular  meeting 
was  held  in  May  at  Lincolnton.  The  report  of  the 
committee  elicited  protracted  discussion.  The  Classis 
expressed  itself  as  not  in  sympathy  with  "Mercers- 
burg Theology,"  and  it  was  declared  that  the  Classis 
of  North  Carolina  no  longer  acknowledged  the  juris- 
diction of  the  Synod,  and  that  it  would  continue  to  be 

(142) 


Struggles  During  and  Following  Civil  War  143 

independent  of  said  Synod  until  satisfied  that  the  al- 
leged heresies  were  no  longer  held.  The  Classis  be- 
came an  independent  ecclesiastical  judicatory.  The 
next  Synod  sent  a  letter  inviting  a  return,  which  in- 
vitation, however,  was  not  accepted.  The  constitution 
of  Synod,  with  slight  modification,  was  adopted  for  the 
government  of  the  Classis.  The  next  year  Synod  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  admonish  the  Classis,  but  this, 
too,  was  without  effect.  The  next  year  the  officers  of 
Synod  addressed  to  the  Classis  a  conciliatory  letter, 
inviting  a  return  to  the  jurisdiction  of  Synod.  But 
Classis  was  not  satisfied  that  its  original  cause  of  com- 
plaint had  been  removed.  In  1858  two  of  the  promi- 
nent ministers  of  Synod  (Drs.  Zacharias  and  Porter) 
addressed  conciliatory  letters  to  the  Classis,  intended 
to  bring  about  reunion.  But  Classis  was  still  not  pre- 
pared to  go  back  into  the  Synod.  Two  commissioners, 
however,  were  appointed  to  attend  the  next  meeting  of 
Synod,  at  Frederick,  with  a  view  of  paving  the  way 
to  reunion.  In  1859  the  commissioners  reported  and 
laid  before  the  Classis  an  invitation  from  Synod  to  re- 
sume its  former  relation.  The  Classis  was  almost 
equally  divided,  four  voting  for,  six  against,  and  two 
not  voting.  The  matter  then  rested  until  1865,  when 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  report  next  year  on  the 
advisability  of  resuming  the  former  relationship  with 
Synod  by  the  appointment  of  delegates  to  that  body. 
In  1866,  in  connection  with  the  report  of  this  commit- 
tee, a  letter  from  Synod  was  read,  signed  by  the  Presi- 
dent and  Stated  Clerk,  in  which  were  expressed  most 
hearty  feelings  of  regard,  Christian  sympathy,  brother- 
ly kindness  and  charity,  together  with  sincere  regret 


144  Catawba  College 

that  adverse  circumstances  had  for  a  time  prevented 
the  Classis  from  sending  delegates  to  Synod,  and  the 
earnest  hope  that  from  that  time  Classis  would  send 
delegates  to  meet  and  mingle  with  the  brethren  in  Sy- 
nod. Classis  thereupon  resolved  to  send  delegates  to 
the  next  meeting  of  Synod,  and  thus  resume  its  former 
relations.  The  chasm  was  thus  finally  closed.  Section- 
al differences  had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  Slavery  was 
not  the  cause  of  withdrawal.  Reconciliation  would 
probably  have  been  accomplished  sooner  had  not  the 
war  shut  off  communication. 

During  the  interval  of  separation  efforts  at  union 
with  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church  and  the  North  Caro- 
lina Synod  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  claimed  the 
attention  of  the  Classis.  In  1855,  during  its  sessions 
at  Bethany  in  Davidson  County,  petitions  were  laid  be- 
fore the  Classis  from  the  Newton  and  Catawba 
Charges,  asking  that  a  union  with  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church  be  effected.  Two  commissioners  were  ap- 
pointed to  attend  the  next  meeting  of  the  Synod  of 
that  Church.  The  movement  did  not,  however,  mate- 
rialize. In  1857  the  North  Carolina  Synod  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  overtured  Classis  to  effect  a 
closer  union  with  that  body.  The  subject  was  referred 
to  a  committee  for  further  conference  with  a  similar 
committee  representing  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The 
plan  agreed  upon  was  then  to  be  submitted  to  the  con- 
gregations of  the  Classis.  The  terms  offered  by  the 
Presbyterian  Church  were  liberal  and  generous;  but 
such  was  the  affection  of  a  majority  of  the  Reformed 
in  North  Carolina  for  the  Church  of  their  fathers,  and 
so  strong  was  their  unalterable  attachment  to  the  doc- 


Struggles  During  and  Following  Civil  War  145 

trines  of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  that  union  with 
the  Presbyterian  Church  was  an  impossibility.  Dur- 
ing these  many  years  the  Reformed  people  in  North 
Carolina  stood  faithful  to  the  standards  of  their 
Church. 

The  Civil  War  period  was  in  every  way  a  dark  one 
for  the  churches  in  the  South.  When  the  Classis  met 
at  St.  Paul's  Church,  Rowan  County,  in  April,  1862, 
a  cloud  of  gloom  hung  over  the  entire  country.  There 
was  sadness  in  the  hearts  of  ministers  and  elders.  The 
seat  of  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Fetzer,  the  beloved  pastor  of 
West  Rowan  Charge,  was  vacant ;  he  had  answered  the 
roll-call  in  heaven.  Rev.  P.  A.  Long  wrote  the  report 
on  religion  and  morals.  In  that  report  is  the  first 
reference  to  the  Civil  War.  "The  many  calamities 
which  excite  our  country  have  greatly  affected  the 
Church.  Many  of  our  brethren  have  been  called  by 
our  rulers  to  leave  their  homes  and  thus  made  vacant 
their  places  in  the  church."  This  was  early  in  the 
war.  Next  year  the  story  was  sadder.  Rev.  John 
Lantz  in  his  report  on  the  state  of  the  church,  said : 
"In  looking  over  the  reports  from  the  several  charges 
in  connection  with  Classis,  we  have  observed  with  pro- 
found sorrow  the  desolations  of  war  with  its  con- 
comitant evils  in  our  beloved  Zion.  It  has  brought 
death  and  gloom  in  many  a  once  happy  family,  made 
vacant  many  places  in  the  sanctuary  formerly  vocal 
with  the  praises  of  God,  and  borne  away  from  time  to 
eternity  many  of  our  most  promising  and  excellent 
young  men.  Among  them  were  youths  of  high  lit- 
erary attainments  and  mental  culture,  as  well  as  de- 
voted piety,  which  fitted  them  for  eminent  usefulness 


146  Catawba  College 

in  the  Church  and  the  world  and  made  them  the  hope 
of  the  future  prosperity  of  our  Reformed  Zion  in  the 
South."  Thursday,  July  16th,  of  that  year  was  ap- 
pointed a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer.  The  records  of 
1864  say:  "Amid  the  calamities  which  have  afflicted 
our  country  and  the  sorrows  whose  bitter  waters  have 
rolled  their  dark  waves  through  all  our  churches,  we 
have  cause  of  devout  gratitude  to  God  for  His  great 
mercy  vouchsafed  to  us.  Our  churches  without  per- 
haps a  single  exception  are  mourning  over  the  death 
of  members  to  whom  they  looked  with  hope  for  the 
future.  Our  hearts  are  pained  at  the  remembrance  that 
so  many  loved  ones  have  been  taken  from  us."  July 
21st  was  appointed  as  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer. 

The  place  appointed  for  the  meeting  in  1865  was 
Daniel's  Church,  Lincoln  County,  Tuesday  before  the 
second  Sunday  in  May.  But  Classis  could  not  meet  at 
the  time  and  place  designated,  on  account  of  the  pres- 
ence of  hostile  armies.  Accordingly  the  President  and 
Stated  Clerk  issued  a  call  for  a  meeting  at  Grace 
Church,  Rowan  County,  November  3,  1865,  to  transact 
all  business  that  would  come  up  at  a  regular  meeting. 
Although  the  war  was  over,  its  effects  were  to  be  felt 
through  many  coming  years.  It  left  the  treasury  of 
Classis  literally  bankrupt.  Col.  George  Barnhart,  the 
treasurer,  reported  in  hand  a  Confederate  bond  for 
three  hundred  and  nineteen  dollars  in  Confederate 
currency.  The  archives  of  Classis  contain  the  three- 
hundred-dollar  bond,  one  ten-dollar  bill,  one  five-dol- 
lar bill,  and  two  two-dollar  bills.  All  the  funds  in  the 
treasurer's  hands  had  become  worthless  through  the 
collapse  of  the  Confederate  government.     The  Classis 


Struggles  During  and  Following  Civil  War  147 

had  to  begin  its  financial  business  anew.  The  records 
of  that  year  say:  "It  is  under  unusual  circumstances 
that  we  meet  as  a  Classis.  The  events  of  the  past 
four  years  have  been  such  as  greatly  to  depress  our 
churches  and  to  impoverish  them.  Many  of  our  most 
pious  and  active  members  have  fallen,  and  our  num- 
ber is  greatly  reduced.  Many  of  our  youths  have  been 
swept  away  by  the  floods  of  iniquity  from  their  safe 
position  in  the  bosom  of  the  Church.  .  .  .  Pover- 
ty, too,  like  an  armed  man,  is  upon  us.  All  these 
things  cause  deep  gloom  to  rest  upon  our  Church.  Yet 
we  owe  great  praise  to  God  that  our  churches  have 
so  much  escaped  the  corrupting  influences  of  the  war, 
and  still  maintain  their  existence.  As  a  general  thing 
the  churches  are  rapidly  rising  from  their  late  depres- 
sion, are  beginning  to  look  hopefully  into  the  future, 
and  are  laying  plans  to  preserve  their  spiritual  in- 
heritance to  their  children.  In  most  cases  they  hope 
to  do  something  for  the  support  of  their  pastors  as 
the  business  of  the  country  shall  be  resumed." 

That  same  year  the  Mission  Board  of  Classis  re- 
ported itself  practically  bankrupt,  since  it  had  in  hand 
but  seventy-nine  cents  in  good  money,  while  five  hun- 
dred and  thirty-two  dollars  and  seventy  cents  had 
perished  with  the  Confederacy.  The  outlook  of  the 
mission  field  was  gloomy.  There  were  numerous  in- 
viting opportunities,  but  there  were  no  funds.  In 
1866  Classis  found  itself  twenty-six  dollars  in  debt. 
The  condition  of  the  treasury  was  but  little  more  fa- 
vorable in  the  three  following  years.  In  1870  all  bills 
had  been  met,  and  there  was  a  small  balance  (twenty 
cents)  in  the  treasury.     That  year  a  plan  was  devised 


148  Catawba  College 

to  inaugurate  an  aggressive  method  to  secure  largely 
increased  benevolent  contributions.  The  plan  pro- 
posed by  the  committee  appointed  for  the  purpose, 
which  was  reported  in  1871,  favored  the  organiza- 
tion of  "A  Board  of  Systematic  Benevolence."  The 
plan  was  adopted,  and  that  system  had  an  honorable 
and  successful  history  of  many  years. 

While  those  years  during  and  succeeding  the  war 
formed  a  period  of  darkness  for  the  Reformed  Church 
in  North  Carolina,  yet  the  pastors  and  people  did  not 
lose  heart.  At  the  close  of  the  war  Classis  addressed 
a  pastoral  letter  to  the  churches  under  her  care.  "The 
times,"  says  the  letter,  "in  which  it  has  pleased  God 
to  cast  our  lot  are  such  as  seem  to  heighten  the  inter- 
est of  the  followers  of  Christ  in  each  other.  The  inti- 
mate relation  we  sustain  as  brethren  in  the  same  com- 
munion will  permit  us  to  undertake  this  act  of  watch- 
fulness and  care  without  presumption.  ...  In 
these  days  when  the  bonds  which  unite  the  Christian 
household  have  in  so  many  cases  been  sundered,  we 
would  remind  you  that  these  sad  events  should  not 
cause  neglect  of  family  religion,  and  the  great  cove- 
nant duty  of  training  up  the  children  for  Christ  in 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  There  is  danger  of  the  re- 
ligious duties  of  the  household  falling  into  disuse  when 
the  head  of  the  family  has  fallen.  We  urge  upon 
Christian  mothers  to  preserve  the  character  and  serv- 
ice of  their  families  as  required  by  the  Word  of  God. 
In  every  case  where  the  baptism  of  children  has  been 
deferred,  awaiting  the  father's  return,  see  to  it  that 
the  child  does  not  grow  up  without  the  mark  of  Christ. 
Attend  strictly  to  the  catechization  of  the  children, 


Struggles  During  and  Following  Civil  War  149 

and  thus  make  your  homes  Bethels,  where  your  little 
ones  do  not  only  grow  in  stature,  but  also  in  the  fear 
of  God  and  the  knowledge  of  His  Word.  As  we  love 
the  Church  of  Christ  and  with  deep  solicitude  look  in- 
to the  future,  we  entreat  Christian  mothers,  in  this 
day  of  calamity,  overwhelmed  with  care,  who  are 
widows,  not  to  neglect  to  train  their  'household  treas- 
ures' in  the  way  of  life,  so  that  the  Church  in  days  to 
come  may  reap  of  the  fruits  of  your  labors,  tears  and 
prayers  a  rich  harvest  of  increase.  Should  not  the 
consistory  of  the  Church  make  it  a  solemn  duty  to 
watch  over  such  families  and  encourage  widowed 
mothers  in  their  holy  and  arduous  work?  Should  not 
the  Church  assume  a  parents'  place  for  those,  alas  so 
many,  who  are  doubly  orphaned?  Are  they  not  the 
children  of  the  Church  by  baptism,  and  does  not  the 
covenant  bind  the  Church  to  watch  over,  love  and  care 
for  them?  We  have  almost  as  many  orphans  in  the 
Church  as  children  whose  parents  yet  live;  al- 
most as  many  widows  as  wives.  Here  a  sad  and  pious 
work  is  set  before  you  by  the  Father  of  the  fatherless 
and  the  widow's  God.  Let  parents  and  the  Church  see 
to  it  that  the  young  are  well  catechized  and  brought 
up  in  the  fear  of  God  and  the  love  of  the  Church  and 
our  Zion  shall  soon  flourish.  .  .  .  We  as  a  Church 
occupy  a  noble  position.  We  have  calmly  kept  our- 
selves from  strife  and  divisive  words  or  counsel,  and 
there  is  not  a  word  in  all  our  records  to  divide  us  or 
offend  a  Christian  brother.  We  may  then  dwell  in 
peace  and  unity.  Neither,  so  far  as  we  can  see,  is 
there  one  act  or  word  in  the  records  of  our  Church 
North  that  is  marked  by  bitterness;  but  our  churches 


150  Catawba  College 

have  been  hailed  with  delight  on  the  return  of  peace, 
and  all  brethren  speak  to  us  words  of  love  and  kind- 
ness. Let  us  then  as  a  Church  maintain  the  unity 
of  our  whole  body,  and  let  it  be  our  task  to  cement 
the  bonds  that  shall  make  our  country  one.  ...  A 
large  number  of  those  formerly  slaves  are  now  cast 
upon  the  country  uneducated,  without  the  means  of 
life.  Their  condition  makes  an  appeal  to  all  Chris- 
tian men.  Some  of  you  formerly  sustained  the  rela- 
tion of  masters.  The  change  in  civil  relation  has  not 
changed  the  Christian  relation.  It  is  now  demanded 
of  us  all  to  ask  what  God  requires  of  us  in  respect  to 
them.  .  .  .  Let  all  men  seek  to  be  faithful  in  this 
new  relation  in  which  we  are  placed  to  the  colored 
race.  Let  Christian  kindness  mark  our  treatment  of 
them.  Let  all  men  be  patient  and  forbearing  as  God 
is  towards  us,  and  let  us  seek  to  turn  to  a  blessing  what 
now  seems  a  burden." 

Some  insight  into  the  effect  of  the  War  upon  Ca- 
tawba College  may  be  gained  from  the  following  inci- 
dents related  by  Mrs.  Foil: 

"During  the  War  period  most  of  the  men  were  out 
of  Newton.  The  men  enlisted  one  after  the  other. 
Finally  there  were  only  two  men  left  in  the  college, 
one  of  whom  was  Michael  Hedrick  and  the  other  was 
named  Frank.  Dr.  Clapp  was  talking  to  them  one 
day  about  enlisting.  He  asked  Frank :  'What  are  you 
going  to  do?'  'I  don't  know.  I  think  I'll  go  west.' 
Mr.  Hedrick  had  only  a  high  school  education,  but  on 
account  of  the  great  scarcity  of  preachers  they  li- 
censed him.     He  studied  some  under  Dr.  Welker." 


Struggles  During  and  Following  Civil  War  151 

"When  Stoneman's  Brigade  came  into  town,  there 
was  a  large  quantity  of  cotton  stored  in  the  house 
there.  There  were  a  few  men  in  town,  besides  the 
preachers.  They  said  that  if  the  cotton  was  burned, 
the  town  would  be  burned.  They  decided  to  move  the 
cotton,  and  were  moving  it  when  the  brigade  came  in 
and  caught  them  at  it.  My  father  was  in  the  crowd 
helping  to  move  it.  They  said :  'What  are  you  doing 
this  for?'  very  bluntly.  My  father  said:  'We  were 
afraid  if  you  set  fire  to  it  you  wouid  burn  up  the  whole 
town.'  'We  are  not  going  to  bother  your  old  cotton. 
Stop  it!'  They  did  not  burn  it.  Those  of  their  men 
who  had  never  seen  cotton  certainly  did  enjoy  it.  They 
strung  it  out  in  long  rows  and  the  town  was  strewn 
with  cotton.  The  jail  was  burned,  but  not  according 
to  orders.  The  Colonel  was  a  strong  disciplinarian. 
He  put  some  of  his  men  in  jail  to  keep  them  out  of 
mischief.     They  got  matches  and  burned  the  jail." 

"Only  girls  came  in  to  the  school  and  boarded.  They 
boarded  at  mother's  and  other  places.  After  the  war 
Major  Finger  and  Dr.  Clapp  started  an  English  and 
Classical  High  School.  Major  Finger  was  a  quarter- 
master during  the  Civil  War.  He  was  educated  at 
Fowdoin.  Afterwards  he  became  State  Superintend- 
ent. After  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter,  he  and  Emanuel 
Schell  left  Bowdoin  in  the  spring,  just  before  graduat- 
ing. They  came  home.  Schell  went  to  the  war  as  a  sol- 
dier.    He  died  of  scurvy.     Finger  got  home  all  right." 

"Miles  0.  Sherrill,  a  Catawba  County  boy,  after  his 
amputated  limb  had  healed,  came  home  and  entered  the 
high  school  taught  by  Jacob  Clapp  and  Eli  Warlick  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War  and  afterward.  He  married  Miss  Sa- 
rah  Bost   of   Newton.  They   had   four   sons   and   two 


152  Catawba  College 

daughters,  all  of  whom  became  prominent.  Mr.  Sher- 
rill  became  Clerk  of  the  Court  of  Catawba  County  and 
held  other  offices  of  trust.  When  chosen  as  State  Li- 
brarian, he  moved  to  Raleigh.  This  position  he  held 
till  failing  health  caused  his  resignation,  and  he  died 
some  years  ago  in  Greensboro,  N.  C." 

"Among  other  young  men  who  came  back  from  the 
war  we  can  mention  D.  Lafayette  Rowe,  lamed  for 
life  in  one  limb;  G.  W.  Cochran,  who  lost  a  leg,  and 
afterward  became  Register  of  Deeds;  Henry  Rudisill 
lost  an  arm,  came  back  to  Catawba  to  finish  his  educa- 
tion, and  afterwards  held  one  of  the  County  offices. 
Sidney  Wilfong  lost  an  arm.  Six  of  the  sons  of  John 
Wilfong  were  soldiers  in  the  Confederate  army.  Two 
of  them  lost  their  lives.  Sidney  Yount  also  returned  to 
school  after  losing  an  arm.  He  became  Sheriff  of  the 
County.  Numbers  of  other  students  returned  from  the 
war  unhurt,  and  renewed  their  studies.  After  that  Ma- 
jor S.  M.  Finger  became  associated  with  Dr.  Clapp,  and 
they  conducted  a  Classical  High  School,  without  the 
girls  until  1873,  when  Major  Finger  resigned.  Dur- 
ing this  period  John  A.  Foil  was  a  student  and  tutor." 

"During  the  Civil  War  an  ungraded  school  was  con- 
ducted in  the  College  building  by  Jacob  Clapp  and  Eli 
Warlick  for  both  sexes,  Dr.  Clapp  teaching  the  'higher 
branches,'  and  Eli  Warlick  the  elementary  subjects. 
Both  these  teachers,  though  exempted  from  going  to 
war,  were  enrolled  in  the  Home  Guard.  To  the  best  of 
my  recollection  they  were  not  called  out  except  when 
a  search  was  to  be  made  for  deserters,  who  generally 
hid  in  the  mountains  and  became  known  as  'bush- 
whackers.'    Their  absence  from  the  school,  occasion- 


Struggles  During  and  Following  Civil  War  153 

ally  for  a  few  days,  was  generally  understood  by  us, 
but  whether  they  ever  really  arrested  anyone  we  never 
knew." 

"Eli  Warlick  had  been  one  of  the  first  pupils.  He 
belonged  to  that  staunch  Reformed  family  in  Lincoln 
County  that  has  stood  by  Catawba  College  from  the 
beginning  till  now.  After  he  went  to  school  as  long 
as  he  wanted  to,  he  migrated  further  South,  to  Georgia 
I  think.  He  married  a  lovely  girl,  a  Miss  Seagle  of 
Lincoln  county,  and  they  had  four  sons,  whose  de- 
scendants live  in  Newton.  When  he  returned  from 
Georgia  to  teach  with  Dr.  Clapp,  he  had  become  a 
zealous  Methodist,  so  zealous  in  fact,  that  he  seemed 
to  consider  the  old  Reformed  way  of  standing  during 
prayer  as  sinful.  When  Dr.  Clapp  conducted  chapel 
exercises,  we  always  stood  in  prayer.  When  Mr.  War- 
lick  led  the  services,  he  always  said :  'Let  us  kneel  in 
prayer.'  None  of  us  liked  the  innovation,  and  besides 
we  did  not  like  to  soil  our  dresses,  as  the  floor  was 
none  too  clean.  I  was  myself,  for  this  reason,  and  be- 
ing actuated  also  by  a  spirit  of  mischief,  one  of  those 
who  would  sometimes  stand  bolt  upright.  He  told  us 
that  kneeling  was  the  only  proper  way  to  approach  God. 
I  knew  my  Bible  better  than  that,  and  though  we  were 
perhaps  disrespectful  to  Mr.  Warlick,  I  could  not  feel 
that  we  were  irreverent  toward  God.  Sometimes  he 
would  begin  his  prayer  by  saying:  '0  Lord,  we  come 
before  Thee  in  the  humblest  attitude  of  which  we  have 
any  knowledge,  etc."  He  was  a  very  good  teacher, 
though  I  did  not  recite  to  him.  I  noticed  he  was  se- 
vere and  impatient  with  stupidity.  He  was  very  se- 
vere with  his  own  boys.     Mr.  Warlick  was  married  a 


154  Catawba  College 

second  time  and  had  two  daughters,  who  became  or- 
phans when  both  parents  died  comparatively  young. 
Dr.  Clapp  was  their  guardian,  and  they  were  educated 
at  the  College.  Years  later,  one  of  them  married  the 
Greek  professor,  W.  Troup." 

Mr.  Whitener,  in  his  thesis  before  referred  to,  says : 
"The  people  of  Catawba  County  are  a  conservative 
people,  and  in  1861  when  South  Carolina  and  other 
states  and  even  parts  of  North  Carolina,  were  agitated 
and  excited,  this  county  was  calm  and  cool.  However, 
when  Lincoln  called  on  North  Carolina  for  her  quota  of 
troops,  the  young  men  of  the  county  became  very  much 
aroused  and  when  Governor  Ellis  called  for  troops  they 
responded  at  once.  About  1500  soldiers  from  Catawba 
County  served  the  Confederacy  and  about  1200  re- 
turned.1 They  were  in  most  of  the  engagements  with 
Lee  around  Richmond  and  they  left  a  number  of  their 
brave  comrades  on  the  field  of  Gettysburg.  When  the 
war  was  over  they  returned  home  to  find  their  stock 
gone  and  a  number  of  homes  destroyed  by  a  part  of 
General  Sherman's  army.  However,  they  set  to  work 
with  their  crude  farm  implements  and  for  the  second 
time  laid  the  foundations  for  one  of  the  most  prosper- 
ous counties  in  the  state." 


iHahn— Catawba  Soldier  of  the  Civil  War.      (Page  19.) 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Administration  of  President  Mebane. 

IN  MAY  1900  Charles  H.  Mebane,  an  alumnus  of 
the  college  who  had  also  served  several  years  as 
Professor  of  Greek,  was  elected  President  of  the 
College.  He  had  served  a  term  as  State  Superintend- 
ent of  Public  Instruction,  and  came  to  the  presidency 
very  well  known  throughout  the  State.  He  sustained 
well  the  character  of  the  institution,  and  was  especially 
successful  in  swelling  the  patronage,  which  was,  per- 
haps, never  larger  before  or  since. 

At  the  time  of  his  death  the  following  account  ap- 
peared in  the  Charlotte  Observer  of  December  15, 
1926: 

"C.  H.  Mebane,  Editor  of  the  Catawba  News-Enter- 
prise, died  at  his  home  this  afternoon  after  an  illness 
extending  over  seven  or  eight  months.  Although  his 
death  has  been  expected  daily  for  the  last  three  weeks 
or  more,  it  was  a  distinct  shock  to  Newton  and  the 
entire  county. 

"On  May  22,  1894,  Mr.  Mebane  was  married  to  Miss 
Minnie  Cochrane,  and  to  this  union  were  born  the 
following  children:  Charles  H.  Jr.,  Mrs.  G.  W.  Mann 
of  Winston-Salem,  Mrs.  C.  W.  Rothrock  of  Oteen,  Wil- 
liam M.  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  Misses  Elizabeth  and 
Evelyn  Mebane  of  Newton. 

(155) 


156  Catawba  College 

"The  deceased  was  born  in  Guilford  County,  October 
24,  1862,  son  of  W.  M.  and  Margaret  Mebane.  He 
was  educated  at  Catawba  College,  and  taught  school 
for  a  number  of  years  after  his  graduation.  In  1896 
he  was  elected  State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion, and  served  in  this  capacity  until  1900. 

"From  1900  to  1904  he  was  president  of  Catawba 
College,  and  afterwards  served  as  superintendent  of 
Catawba  County  schools. 

"Early  in  1904  he  bought  the  Catawba  County  News 
and  soon  thereafter  became  the  editor  of  this  paper. 
However,  soon  after  purchasing  his  paper,  he  took  a 
course  of  law  at  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  and 
secured  his  license  to  practice  in  1906.  He  was  ap- 
pointed special  loan  agent  by  the  education  depart- 
ment from  1909  to  1913,  and  afterwards  from  1915 
to  1917  was  judge  of  Catawba  County  court. 

"Later,  from  1918  to  1919  he  served  as  state  prohi- 
bition director,  and  for  the  last  thirty  years  has  been 
one  of  the  directors  of  North  Carolina  College  for 
Women,  at  which  place  his  two  youngest  daughters 
were  attending  school  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

"Mr.  Mebane  has  been  an  energetic  and  successful 
editor,  always  taking  a  strong  and  fearless  stand  on 
any  moral  question.  His  paper  has  made  gradual 
progress  since  his  connection  with  it  in  1904,  and 
has  grown  to  be  one  of  the  largest  county  papers  in 
the  state." 

Mr.  Mebane  was  a  cultured  Christian  gentleman,  an 
able  educator  and  statesman.  He  began  the  revival  of 
learning  in  North  Carolina,  from  the  dark  fortunes 
which  befell  public  education  in  the  years  following  the 


President  Mebaxe. 


(157) 


The  Administration  of  President  Mebane  159 

Civil  War.  Of  him  Mr.  Russell  Whitener  says,  in  his 
thesis  on  the  History  of  Education  in  Catawba  County : 

"The  awakening  interest  on  the  part  of  the  people 
of  North  Carolina  was  fostered  and  sentiment  crystal- 
lized for  a  revival  in  education  by  State  Superintend- 
ent C.  H.  Mebane,  a  citizen  of  Catawba  County.  Mr. 
Mebane  made  possible  the  new  era  for  the  schools  of 
North  Carolina  which  began  in  1900  under  the  leader- 
ship of  that  young  lawyer  from  Goldsboro,  Charles  B. 
Aycock.  Aycock  had  placed  himself  at  the  head  of 
all  the  progressive  forces  demanding  better  schools 
over  the  whole  state  and  had  waged  a  successful  cam- 
paign in  behalf  of  universal  education." 

He  was  a  man  of  such  strength  that  the  minority 
party — the  Republican — elected  him  to  his  office.  He 
had  the  attractive  power  to  build  up  the  student  body, 
but  was  none  the  less  faced  by  grave  difficulties.  The 
buildings  were  overcrowded  and  the  faculty  too  small. 
There  was  no  endowment  worthy  of  mention,  and  the 
constituency  was  not  a  rich  one.  He  was  compelled  to 
fill  the  place  of  a  full  professor  as  well  as  to  attend  to 
the  executive  side  of  the  work  and  to  try  to  finance 
the  growing  demands  of  the  school.  He  made  re- 
peated calls  upon  the  Board  for  help,  to  which  no  re- 
sponse could  be  made.  It  was  in  the  face  of  this  situ- 
ation that  he  decided  to  relinquish  his  leadership  in 
favor  of  any  man  who  could  enlist  mdre  fully  the  co- 
operation and  support  of  the  constituency. 

A  student  of  Mr.  Mebane's  writes  that  "in  conver- 
sation with  Mr.  Mebane  in  his  home,  he  has  often 
said  to  me,  'It  is  heartbreaking  to  see  the  Church  in 
North  Carolina  starve  her  favorite  child.'  " 


160  Catawba  College 

Mr.  Mebane  made  a  good  President.  In  spite  of  the 
fact  that  he  had  to  work  his  way  through  college,  which 
took  a  long  time,  he  was  a  good  scholar.  He  gathered 
a  good  faculty.  Mr.  Wilson,  later  Librarian  at  the 
University  of  North  Carolina,  was  for  one  year  a 
teacher  under'  Mr.  Mebane.  As  President  he  was 
somewhat  handicapped  because  of  some  political  un- 
popularity. He  was  brought  up  a  Republican,  but 
when  he  was  serving  as  Professor  of  Greek  the  Re- 
publicans and  Populists  fused  and  nominated  him  as 
State  Superintendent,  which  resulted  in  his  election. 
He  was  raised  in  Guilford  County,  where  Dr.  Welker 
had  exerted  a  great  influence  in  favor  of  abolition.  Mr. 
Mebane  came  under  this  influence.  His  wife  was  a 
Democrat;  accordingly,  when  the  Democrats  wanted 
him  to  continue  as  State  Superintendent,  he  came  out 
for  reelection  subject  to  the  Democratic  convention. 
This  infuriated  the  Republicans  and  Populists,  and  his 
Democratic  friends  did  not  succeed  in  nominating 
him.  In  spite,  however,  of  this  political  handicap  he 
would  probably  have  succeeded  in  a  larger  measure  as 
President  of  the  College,  had  it  not  been  for  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  situation  in  which  the  college  was  be- 
ginning to  find  itself. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  Administration  of  President  Snyder. 

SOME  OF  THE  FRIENDS  of  the  college  were  at- 
tending a  meeting  of  the  Potomac  Synod  at  Salis- 
bury. On  the  return  trip  they  met  the  Rev. 
George  A.  Snyder1  on  the  train.  He  was  explaining  to 
some  of  the  delegates  from  Catawba  County  an  offer 
he  had  from  Mr.  Solliday.  This  offer  later  materialized 
into  the  Solliday  Fund.  It  was  on  the  strength  of  this 
offer  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Snyder  was  selected  for  the 
difficult  position  in  the  college,  where  the  receipt  of 
such  gifts  was  so  essential  to  its  future. 


xFrom  the  History  of  Frederick  County,  Maryland,  we  have 
secured   the   following   sketch   of  the   life   of   President   Snyder: 

"The  Rev.  George  A.  Snyder,  the  son  of  John  George  and 
Susannah  (Kepler)  Snyder,  was  born  in  Summit  County,  Ohio, 
August  10,  1863.  His  father,  John  George  Snyder,  was  the  son 
of  Michael  and  Barbara  (Weimer)  Snyder,  and  was  born  in 
Alsace  Lorraine,  Germany,  then  a  province  of  France,  Jan.  13, 
1827.  His  parents  came  to  America  in  1838,  and  settled  in  Stark 
County,  Ohio.  Michael  and  Barbara  Snyder  had  five  children: 
John  George,  Michael,  Eve,  Frederick,  and  Julia.  John  George 
Snyder  was  married  to  Susannah  Kepler.  Of  their  ten  children 
nine  reached  maturity.  The  Rev.  George  A.  Snyder  was  sixth 
of  these.  He  was  married  October  5,  1892,  to  Mary  Irene,  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  H.  and  Alice  (Koons)  Cost,  of  Washington  County, 
Md.  They  have  had  five  children,  three  of  whom  are  living: 
George  Randolph,  Charlotte  Blanche,  and  Beatrice  Rosaline. 

"George  A.  Snyder  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm  in  Summit 
County,    Ohio.      He    attended    the    schools    of    his    district,    and 

(161) 


162  Catawba  College 

Under  President  Snyder's  administration  the  build- 
ings were  greatly  enlarged,  giving  an  addition  of  five 
class  rooms,  a  spacious  auditorium,  library  accommoda- 
tions, offices,  etc.,  on  the  first  floor,  together  with 
twenty  or  more  well-appointed  rooms,  toilets,  baths, 
halls,  and  the  like  on  the  second  and  third  floors.  The 
cost  of  the  improvements  was  about  $22,000.  Of  this 
sum  $14,575,  was  carried  over  as  a  debt. 

Dr.  Snyder  had  assumed  a  tremendous  task.  There 
was  a  student  body  demanding  a  standard  education 
and  he  did  not  have  the  physical  equipment  sufficient 
to  meet  the  demand.  He  faced  the  situation  with  hope 
and  confidence  which  inspired  the  students  who  were 


worked  with  hi?1  father  on  the  farm  until  he  reached  his  eigh- 
teenth year.  In  1831,  he  entered  Heidelberg  College,  at  Tiffin, 
Ohio,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  was  graduated  from  that 
institution  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  He  immediately  entered  the 
Theological  Department  of  Heidelberg  College  and  graduated 
in  the  class  of  1888.  In  July  of  the  same  year,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Snyder  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  Christ  Reformed  Church 
at  Hagerstown,  Md.,  where  he  remained  for  sixteen  years.  Dur- 
ing his  long  pastorate,  the  congregation  in  Hagerstown  built  a 
handsome  new  church,  in  which  they  placed  a  fine  pipe  organ, 
and  also  erected  a  commodious  parsonage.  In  1904,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Snyder  resigned  his  charge  in  Hagerstown  to  accept  the  presi- 
dency of  Catawba  College  at  Newton,  N.  C. 

"While  he  was  president  of  the  college,  all  of  the  buildings  were 
remodelled  and  enlarged.  The  lands  of  the  institution  were  in- 
creased and  the  campus  was  enlarge!  and  beautified.  The  re- 
ceipts from  the  students  enrolled  were  increased  from  $4,800  in 
1904-05,  to  $10,100  in  1907-08;  the  number  of  students  was  greatly 
increased,  and  the  institution  became  popular.  In  the  summer  of 
1908  the  Rev.  Mr.  Snyder  resigned  the  presidency  of  Catawba 
College.  He  accepted  a  call  from  Christ  Reformed  Church  at 
Middletown,  Md.,  and  began  his  pastorate  September  1,  1908.  He 
attributes  whatever  success  he  has  attained  in  life  to  hard  work 
and  close  application  to  the  duties  of  his  profession." 


President  George  A.   Snyder. 


(163) 


The  Administration  of  President  Snyder    165 

looking  to  their  denominational  college  to  supply  them 
with  the  best  education.  His  first  efforts  were  to 
secure  a  proper  faculty  with  which  to  instruct  this 
student  body,  in  which  he  succeeded.  They  were  such 
men  as  Professors  Garrison,  Weaver,  Schenk,  J.  B. 
Leonard,  Slappy,  Losh,  and  others.  These  men 
were  an  inspiration  to  the  youth  who  came  into  con- 
tact with  them. 

With  the  additions  and  improvements  to  the  build- 
ings, the  equipment  was  adequate  for  effective  work 
that  was  standard  in  that  day.  Dr.  Snyder  raised 
funds  sufficient  to  start  the  buildings,  largely  among 
his  friends.  The  windows  in  the  old  chapel  bore  tes- 
timony to  the  friendships  he  had  made  for  Catawba. 
Unfortunately,  in  order  to  complete  the  buildings  it 
was  necessary  to  borrow  money,  and  debt  was  a 
burden  which  the  college  was  not  in  a  position  to 
carry. 

Dr.  Snyder  also  gave  his  attention  successfully  to 
the  scholastic  work  of  the  institution.  One  of  his 
students  says :  "Catwaba  was  the  equal  of  any  denom- 
inational college  in  the  State  in  that  day."  The  need 
was  for  additional  endowment  in  order  to  maintain  the 
work.  Dr.  Snyder  entered  into  the  work  of  securing 
such  endowment.  He  did  succeed  in  securing  the  Solli- 
day  Fund,  some  lands  in  Pennsylvania,  and  other  gifts. 
Hopes  ran  high.  The  student  body  was  increased. 
But  underlying  all  else  was  a  burdensome  debt  and 
the  inability  of  the  College  to  secure  the  necessary 
funds  for  the  endowment  and  for  current  expenses. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Snyder  were  very  popular  with  friends 
in  Newton  and  with  the  student  body. 


166  Catawba  College 

It  had  been  the  custom  for  students  to  room  at  the 
college  and  to  get  their  meals  in  "mess  clubs"  outside. 
One  boy  usually  got  his  board  free  for  managing  the 
club.  At  one  time  such  a  club  was  run  in  "the  pro- 
fessor's house."  Dr.  Snyder  preferred  to  conduct  the 
college  on  the  regular  boarding  plan. 

President  Snyder  suffered,  in  common  with  other 
Presidents  of  the  College,  under  the  handicap  of 
being  required  to  take  a  full  schedule  of  teaching  in 
order  to  help  out  the  faculty,  which  was  always  too 
small.  This  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  have  the 
time  needed  for  any  successful  effort  to  raise  the  large 
funds  demanded  by  the  needs  of  the  institution.  Dr. 
Snyder  resigned  in  May,  1908.  He  accepted  a  pastor- 
ate in  Middletown,  Md.,  from  which  after  some  years 
he  went  to  a  pastorate  in  a  mission  congregation  in 
Akron,  Ohio. 

Dr.  Charles  E.  Wehler,1  Pastor  of  Grace  Church,  at 
Newton,  N.  C,  was  elected  Chairman  of  the  Faculty, 


iCharles  Emanuel  Wehler  was  born  near  New  Oxford,  Pa.,  Oct. 
18,  1864,  the  son  of  Levi  and  Catherine  (Mummert)  Wehler.  He 
attended  Millersville  (Pa.)  State  Normal  School,  1881-82;  Pala- 
tinate College,  Myerstown,  Pa.,  1882-83.  He  took  the  A.  B.  de- 
gree in  Ursinus  College  in  1887  and  the  A.  M.  in  1890.  He  at- 
tended the  University  of  Tennessee  during  the  summer  of  1910. 
Catawba  College  conferred  upon  him  the  D.  D.  degree  in  1906. 
On  Dec.  18,  1889  he  married  Bertha  Hendricks  of  Collegeville,  Pa. 
He  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States  in  1889.  He  was  pastor  of  the  Reformed  Congrega- 
tion in  Newton,  N.  C,  1904-09.  He  was  organizer  and  superin- 
tendent of  the  graded  schools  of  Newton  1905-06.  He  was  a 
teacher  of  History  and  Political  Science  in  Catawba  College  1905- 
06,  Financial  Agent  1907-08,  and  Chairman  of  the  Faculty  1908-09. 
He  was  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Ingleside,  Ga.,  1909- 
10.    He  became  Professor  of  History  and  Bible  and  Vice-President 


Dean  Charles  E.  Wehlek, 


(167) 


The  Administration  of  President  Snyder    169 

and  Prof.  W.  R.  Weaver2  was  chosen  Dean.  These 
two  men  served  as  administrative  officers  for  the  time 
being.  Dr.  Wehler  had  been  approached,  but  was  un- 
willing to  accept  the  presidency.  He  had  tried  to 
raise  some  funds  but  did  not  meet  with  a  satisfactory 
measure  of  success,  and  grew  discouraged.  After  six 
months  he  resigned  and  the  work  was  carried  on  by 
Professor  Weaver,  assisted  by  a  competent  faculty,  for 
the  remainder  of  the  two  years. 

The  following  statement  by  Loomis  F.  Klutz,  Esq., 
Representative  from  Catawba  County,  shows  the  es- 
teem in  which  Dr.  Snyder  was  held  by  his  friends,  and 
at  the  same  time  points  out  some  of  the  definite  for- 


in  Hood  College,  1911.  After  twelve  years  in  this  position  he 
accepted  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  Faith  Reformed  Church,  Balti- 
more.    In  1925  he  was  elected  a  Trustee  of  Catawba  College. 

2William  R.  Weaver,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  received  his 
early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Hamburg,  and  graduated 
with  high  honors  from  Franklin  and  Marshall  College,  Lancaster, 
Pa.,  in  1902,  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  and  the  year  later  received 
the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  his  Alma  Mater. 

From  September  1,  1902,  under  the  presidency  of  the  late  Hon. 
C.  H.  Mebane,  until  November  1,  1912,  he  occupied  the  position  of 
Professor  of  Greek  and  German  in  Catawba  College.  During  two 
of  these  scholastic  years,  viz.,  1908-09,  and  1909-10  it  became  his 
onerous  task  as  Dean  of  the  College  to  serve  also  as  acting 
president  during  the  period  when  that  office  was  vacant. 

Following  his  resignation  in  1912,  he  became  an  instructor  in 
English  in  the  Pierce  School  of  Business  in  Philadelphia,  one  of 
the  oldest  and  largest  schools  of  this  kind  in  the  country.  In 
March,  1916,  he  resigned  this  position  to  accept  a  business  posi- 
tion in  his  old  home,  Hamburg,  Pa.  On  March  1,  1919,  he  again 
heard  the  call  of  the  South  when  he  located  at  Hickory,  N.  C, 
where  he  has  since  held  the  position  of  Assistant-Cashier  and 
Trust  Officer  in  the  Consolidated  Trust  Company,  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial, growing  financial  institutions  of  Piedmont,  Carolina. 


170  Catawba  College 

ward   steps   which   the    College   took   under  his   ad- 
ministration : 

"Rev.  Dr.  George  Albert  Snyder,  President  of  Ca- 
tawba College,  from  1904  to  1908,  did  more  to  increase 
the  standing  of  the  institution  than  any  other  president 
during  a  similar  period  of  time.  He  enlarged  the 
main  building,  including  a  beautiful  chapel  filled  with 
memorial  windows,  making  the  main  building  three 
times  as  large  as  it  was  before.  He  increased  the  num- 
ber of  the  student  body  and  the  standing  of  the  college 
improved  because  of  the  better  course  of  instruction 
and  the  abler  members  of  the  faculty.  He  obtained 
large  sums  of  money  for  the  college  in  the  North,  and 
received  large  tracts  of  land  in  other  states  for  the  in- 
stitution. He  probably  received  more  money  for  the 
school  both  North  and  South  than  the  institution  had 
received  throughout  its  history.  Dr.  Snyder  stood 
well  with  the  people  of  Newton  and  Catawba  County, 
the  people  of  the  North  Carolina  Classis  and  through- 
out the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States.  He 
was  by  far  the  ablest  member  of  the  Reformed  Church 
in  North  Carolina  during  the  period  of  1904  to  1908. 
He  was  by  far  the  best  all-round  president  the  college 
has  ever  had  up  to  the  present  time." 

In  a  letter  Dr.  Wehler  says  of  his  connection  with 
the  College  as  "Chairman  of  the  Faculty"  in  1908-09 : 
"I  have  always  felt  that  my  taking  the  chairmanship 
of  the  faculty  was  the  direct  cause  of  bringing  Dr. 
Clapp  and  Dr.  Foil  back  to  the  College.  Both  of  these 
veteran  teachers  and  strong  men  had  been  for  a  time 
out  of  the  active  service  of  the  College.  I  took  the  po- 
sition only  on  condition  that  Dr.  Clapp  would  join  me, 


Dea^  Weaver. 


(171) 


The  Administration  of  President  Snyder     173 

and  he  did."  Dr.  Wehler's  health  was  not  good,  and 
he  was  breaking  down  under  the  double  load  of  work 
in  the  Church  and  in  the  College.  He  therefore  re- 
signed for  a  period  of  rest  and  recuperation,  leaving 
Dean  Weaver  in  charge. 

The  following  statement  by  Mr.  Weaver  will  be  of 
interest  as  showing  the  spirit  of  those  who  did  pio- 
neer work  in  maintaining  the  life  and  the  ideals  of  our 
educational  work  at  old  Catawba :  "During  this  ten- 
year  period  it  was  my  good  fortune  to  be  intimately  as- 
sociated with  capable  co-workers,  laboring  under  con- 
ditions in  many  ways  most  primitive,  and  handicapped 
by  lack  of  proper  equipment  and  facilities,  yet  zealous- 
ly leading  and  inspiring  those  under  their  care.  It  is 
hardly  fair  to  think  of  the  teachers  and  the  leaders  of 
the  past  as  lacking  in  the  wisdom  necessary  so  to  or- 
ganize and  direct  the  educational  work  of  their  day  as 
to  place  the  institution  on  a  par  with  others  of  a  simi- 
lar nature  in  the  State.  There  never  was  a  constit- 
uency sufficiently  large  or  wealthy  to  justify  such  a 
hope  for  Catawba  College  in  the  past.  Nor  was  there 
the  general  material  prosperity  now  so  common  and  so 
widely  distributed  that  would  have  made  it  possible. 
It  is  only  within  very  recent  years  that  the  people  of 
the  Reformed  Church,  particularly  in  the  South,  have 
become  able  as  well  as  willing  to  do  large  and  worth- 
while things  for  the  College.  This  statement  is  made 
not  to  minimize  any  shortcomings  in  the  work  or  man- 
agement of  the  College  at  any  time  in  its  long  and 
honorable  history  but  as  an  explanation  in  part  at 
least  of  its  comparatively  minor  position  as  an  insti- 
tution of  higher  learning  in  the  State.     While  it  has 


174  Catawba  College 

always  been  conducted  on  a  smaller  scale  and  with 
fewer  students,  the  collegiate  work  has  been  thorough 
and  scholarly,  as  those  who  have  taken  it  have  repeat- 
edly proved  in  advanced  work  in  other  institutions,  and 
will   themselves   bear   witness. 

"With  the  enlarged  equipment,  facilities  and  fac- 
ulty of  the  new  Catawba,  and  the  united  interest  and 
support  of  a  larger  and  wealthier  constituency,  al- 
ready there  are  being  realized  many  of  the  dreams  of 
those  who  labored  and  sacrificed  in  days  gone  by,  that 
the  lamp  of  learning  might  not  be  dimmed,  but  shine 
with  ever  increasing  brightness  to  dispel  ignorance 
and  enrich  and  ennoble  life." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Administration  of  President  Buchheit. 
1910-1913. 

AFTER  AN  INTERREGNUM  of  two  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  Dean  W.  R.  Weaver  was  acting 
President,  on  April  1,  1910,  John  Frederick 
Buchheit,1  Franklin  and  Marshall  College,  A.  B.,  A. 
M.,  was  elected  president.  He  assumed  his  duties  at 
Catawba  College  immediately  after  the  conclusion  of 
the  academic  year  at  his  former  institution  and  at  once 


!He  was  born  on  his  father's  farm  in  Jefferson  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, June  28,  1874  of  German  parentage,  his  grandparents  all 
having  migrated  to  this  country  in  the  early  thirties.  Until  he 
reached  his  legal  majority  he  lived  and  toiled  on  this  farm 
situated  in  the  foothills  of  the  Alleghenies.  He  was  one  of  a 
family  of  nine  children  all  of  whom  at  an  early  age  learned  how 
to  make  their  contribution  to  the  material  welfare  of  the  family. 
The  habits  of  industry  and  frugality  formed  at  this  time  became 
a  vital  part  of  his  entire  future  life. 

His  early  education  was  obtained  in  the  rural  schools  of  his 
native  county.  The  term  at  first  was  only  five  months  a  year, 
but  was  later  extended  to  six.  The  distance  to  go,  the  severe  win- 
ters with  their  deep  snows,  and  a  frequently  swollen  stream 
which  had  to  be  crossed  on  a  foot-log  made  it  impossible  to  attend 
regularly  during  his  younger  years.  Later  on  his  services  were 
required  on  the  farm  in  the  early  fall  and  the  late  spring  so  that 
his  school  terms  were  again  curtailed.  Nevertheless  the  rudi- 
ments of  an  education  were  received  in  these  ungraded  country 
schools. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen,  his  pastor,  the  Rev.  J.  F.  Wiant,  pre- 
vailed upon  his  parents  to  send  him  to  the  Palatinate  Collegiate 
Institute    at    Myerstown,    Pa.,    an    institution    of    the    Reformed 

(175) 


176  Catawba  College 

Church,  for  the  spring  term  of  1892.  He  took  as  much  work  as 
he  could  carry  in  the  Normal  course  for  twelve  weeks,  returned 
to  his  home,  passed  the  County  Superintendent's  examination,  and, 
having  now  become  eighteen,  the  required  age,  began  teaching 
a  rural  school  of  sixty-one  pupils.  For  three  successive  winters 
he  taught  with  success  in  the  rural  schools  of  the  township  in 
which  he  lived.  During  two  spring  terms  he  further  strengthened 
his  education  by  attending  a  State  Normal  School,  and  con- 
tinued to  assist  on  his  father's  farm  during  the  summer  months. 

During  the  summer  of  1895,  having  now  become  of  age,  he  went 
into  the  book  business  to  earn  money  a  little  more  rapidly  than 
teaching  school  at  $30,00  or  $35.00  a  month  provided  it,  in  order 
that  he  might  hasten  the  time  for  his  admission  to  college.  At 
the  end  of  sixty  days  his  publishing  house  promoted  him  to  the 
position  of  Field  Manager  in  western  Pennsylvania.  For  a  year 
he  employed  and  trained  college  students  to  sell  books,  entering 
the  field  again  himself  when  the  colleges  had  closed.  The  self- 
reliance  gained  in  this  work  was  of  great  value  during  the  col- 
lege days  that  were  to  follow. 

Having  done  some  private  work  in  Latin  and  Greek  under  the 
tutelage  of  his  pastor,  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Bachman,  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1897,  he  entered  the  Mercersburg  Academy  in  September 
of  that  year,  did  two  years'  work  in  one,  and  was  graduated 
fourth  in  his  class  the  following  June.  While  here  he  developed 
a  great  deal  of  skill  in  public  speaking  and  had  the  honor  of 
winning  the  Washington's  Birthday  Prize  Debate,  the  greatest 
forensic  event  of  the  year  at  that  institution. 

In  September,  1898  he  entered  the  Freshman  Class  of  Franklin 
and  Marshall  College  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  honors 
four  years  later,  being  one  of  five  to  be  elected  to  the  Phi  Beta 
Kappa  Society.  Among  other  prizes  won  during  the  course,  he 
won  the  Senior  Prize  Debate  and  delivered  the  Salutatory  Oration 
on  Commencement  Day.  History,  political  and  social  science, 
philosophy,  and  pedagogy  were  his  favorite  subjects.  While  edu- 
cation, the  law,  and  the  ministry  all  made  strong  appeals  to  him, 
during  his  senior  year  he  decided  to  enter  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary across  the  avenue  when  the  fall  term  opened. 

In  1903,  when  he  had  completed  his  first  year  in  the  Seminary, 
he  was  drafted  into  the  educational  work  of  the  church  as  a 
teacher  in  the  Franklin  and  Marshall  Academy.  For  two  years 
he  taught  in  this  school  with  marked  success,  taking  his  second 
year  in  the  Seminary  in  addition  during  his  second  year  at 
the  Academy.  In  June,  1905  he  was  challenged  by  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  Franklin   and   Marshall  College  to   assist  in  the 


President  Buchheit. 


(177) 


The  Administration  of  President  Buchheit  179 

began  vigorously  the  work  of  rehabilitation.  Due  to 
financial  and  other  difficulties  and  the  prolonged  ill- 
ness of  Prof.  Weaver,  the  work  of  the  institution  had 
become  more  or  less  disorganized. 

With  the  exception  of  Prof.  Weaver,  whose  services 
had  been  invaluable  to  the  institution,  an  entirely  new 
faculty  had  to  be  selected.  After  a  strenuous  speak- 
ing campaign  throughout  the  North  Carolina  Classis 
by  President  Buchheit  and  others  in  the  annual  edu- 
cational and  missionary  campaign,  his  time  was  given 
to  this  important  work  and  to  the  solicitation  for  stu- 
dents. A  total  student  body  of  96  was  gathered  to- 
gether for  the  first  year  of  this  administration. 

The  new  faculty  consisted  of  the  following:  John 
F.  Buchheit,  A.  M.,  History,  Political  and  Social  Sci- 
ence; J.  A.  Foil;  Ph.  D.,  Mathematics  and  Philosophy; 
W.  R.  Weaver,  A.  M.,  Greek,  German,  and  Mathe- 
matics; G.  H.  Smith,  A.  B.,  B.  D.,  English  and  Bible; 
L.  A.  Springs,  A.  M.,  Natural  Science;  Alice  H.  Cook, 
A.  B.,  French  and  Latin ;  Rosa  E.  Volrath,  Pianoforte 
and  Voice;  Miriam  H.  Foil,  B.  S.,  Shorthand,  Type- 
writing, and  Bookkeeping.     The  general  feeling  was 


work  of  raising  an  endowment  fund  of  $150,000.  He  reluct- 
antly accepted,  feeling  sure  that  it  would  mean  the  relinquish- 
ment of  a  ministerial  career.  For  three  years  he  served  as 
Financial  Secretary  of  the  college,  pleading  the  cause  of  Christian 
education  in  a  large  number  of  congregations  in  the  Pittsburgh, 
Eastern,  and  Potomac  Synods  of  the  Reformed  Church. 

In  1908  he  became  the  Principal  of  the  New  Bloomfield 
Academy,  New  Bloomfield,  Pa.,  a  college  preparatory  school  and 
a  training  school  for  teachers.  It  was  while  engaged  in  this 
work  that  he  received  a  unanimous  call  from  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees of  Catawba,  then  located  at  Newton,  N".  C,  to  the  presidency 
of  this  institution. 


180  Catawba  College 

that  in  spite  of  the  limitations  imposed  through  in- 
sufficient funds  to  pay  adequate  salaries,  an  unusually 
strong  faculty  had  been  secured.  The  entire  curricu- 
lum of  the  institution,  both  collegiate  and  preparatory, 
was  also  revised  and  strengthened  and  the  entire  work 
of  the  college  put  upon  a  higher  plane. 

The  new  administration  was  at  once  confronted 
with  difficulties :  The  endowment  of  the  institution 
was  only  about  $20,000,  so  that  the  interest  on  the  debt 
almost  consumed  the  income  from  endowments.  The 
charges  for  tuition  were  very  low,  quite  insufficient  to 
meet  the  operating  expenses.  President  Buchheit,  in 
addition  to  teaching  a  full  schedule  in  the  classroom, 
spent  a  great  deal  of  time  each  year  in  the  Pittsburg, 
Eastern,  and  Potomac  Synods  soliciting  funds  for 
current  expenses  and  for  necessary  improvements  and 
equipment.  Excellent  laboratories  for  all  the  work  in 
science  were  installed,  since  there  had  been  almost  no 
equipment  for  work  in  these  departments.  The  class- 
rooms and  dormitories  were  largely  re-furnished.  Elec- 
tric lights  were  installed.  Shower  baths  with  cement 
floors  were  put  in,  and  the  buildings  were  connected 
with  the  city  sewer  system.  New  blackboards  were  sup- 
plied throughout,  and  maps,  historical  charts,  etc., 
purchased.  Through  the  efforts  of  students  and  teach- 
ers, four  hundred  dollars  worth  of  cement  walks  were 
built.  A  new  carpet  and  $250  worth  of  new  scenery 
were  purchased  for  the  stage,  and  the  main  building 
generally  was  renovated. 

During  the  first  year  of  this  administration  a  hand- 
some Book  of  Views  of  the  college  and  its  environs 
was  issued  and  circulated.    The  catalogue  was  entirely 


(181) 


The  Administration  of  President  Buchheit  183 

re-written  and  enlarged  and  made  to  represent  much 
more  adequately  the  work  done  in  the  several  depart- 
ments. These  two  publications  did  much  to  create  a 
more  favorable  impression  of  the  college  at  home  and 
abroad.  The  literary  societies  were  stimulated  to  re- 
newed activity  and  numerous  contests  were  held.  The 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.  nourished.  Athletics  were 
purified  and  regulated,  professionalism  being  strictly 
ruled  out.  Educational  qualifications  were  established 
for  membership  on  the  several  teams  and  strictly  ad- 
hered to,  and  as  a  result  Catawba  College  acquired  an 
enviable  reputation  for  clean  sports.  Supported  by  the 
people  of  the  town  and  community,  the  college  main- 
tained an  excellent  Lyceum  Course  which  brought  to 
Newton  annually  some  of  the  most  renowned  musi- 
cians, lecturers,  humorists,  and  Shakespearean  readers 
of  the  world. 

During  the  second  and  third  years  the  size  of  the 
faculty  was  increased  to  thirteen  members.  The  cur- 
riculum became  recognized  for  its  breadth  and  the  in- 
struction for  its  thoroughness.  During  the  second 
year  the  college  suffered  a  great  loss  through  the  with- 
drawal of  the  honored  Dr.  J.  A.  Foil  on  account  of  ill 
health,  his  death  occurring  the  following  year.  By  his 
fine  Christian  spirit  and  his  devotion  to  duty  through 
more  than  a  score  of  years  of  faithful  service,  he  had 
endeared  himself  to  the  entire  constituency  of  the  in- 
stitution. In  the  fall  of  1912  another  serious  loss 
occurred  through  the  resignation  of  Prof.  Weaver  who 
had  rendered  more  than  nine  years  of  able  and  self- 
sacrificing  service  to  the  college.  He  was  succeeded 
by  Dr.  Ernst  Derendinger,  recently  from  Switzerland 


184  Catawba  College 

and  Germany,  who  set  a  high-water  mark  for  the  work 
in  the  German  department. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Board  in  connection  with  the 
Commencement  exercises  in  1913,  President  Buchheit 
tendered  his  resignation.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
J.  D.  Andrew. 

In  summing  up  the  administration  of  President 
Buchheit  one  should  say,  first  of  all,  that  he  was  a 
good  schoolman.  He  had  been  recommended  from  the 
North  as  running  a  successful  school  at  New  Bloom- 
field.  When  he  was  invited  to  Newton,  he  made 
an  excellent  impression.  A  Committee  accordingly 
recommended  his  election.  He  was  well-versed  in 
methods  of  organizing  and  conducting  school  work,  and 
one  observer  says  that  under  his  management  "the 
college  was  more  nearly  what  a  college  ought  to  be  than 
it  had  ever  been."  He  selected  an  excellent  faculty 
and  insisted  upon  high  standards.  Students  who  did 
not  make  good  grades  were  not  to  be  passed.  Without 
doubt  he  would  have  been  able  to  develop  the  work  of 
the  college  in  a  very  strong  way,  had  it  not  been  for 
the  financial  difficulties.  He  was  strong,  vigorous,  and 
fearless.  He  set  up  a  type  of  discipline  and  educa- 
tional efficiency  for  which  the  Church  owes  him  thanks. 


(185) 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Catawba  College  in  Relation  to  Claremont  College. 

SO  CLOSELY  has  the  history  of  Catawba  College 
been  related  to  that  of  Claremont  College,  locat- 
ed at  Hickory  ten  miles  from  Newton,  that  it  i& 
impossible  for  any  one  to  understand  clearly  the  his- 
tory of  the  former  without  a  knowledge  of  the  history 
of  the  latter.  In  a  number  of  instances  the  same  per- 
sons have  at  one  time  or  another  been  connected  with 
both  institutions.  The  two  colleges  were  alike  the  out- 
growth of  the  educational  interest  and  efforts  of  the 
Reformed  Church  in  North  Carolina.  Their  existence 
eventually  determined  the  policy  of  the  church  in  re- 
gard to  the  maintenance  of  separate  colleges  for  boys 
and  girls.  The  question  became  this :  Shall  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  North  Carolina  maintain  one  college 
for  boys  and  another  for  girls,  or  shall  the  church 
maintain   one   co-educational   college? 

The  author  of  this  history  takes  pleasure  in  making 
available  for  readers  the  interesting  story  of  Clare- 
mont College  as  related  several  years  ago  by  his  firm 
friend,  the  late  Rev.  Joseph  L.  Murphy,  D.  D.,  in  a 
pamphlet  under  the  title :  "A  Historical  Sketch  of 
Claremont  College."  Dr.  Murphy  was  a  true  friend 
of  Catawba  College,  and  he  was  as  sincerely  devoted 
to  the  interests  of  Claremont  College.  He  was  at  one 
time  a  professor  in  Catawba  College.    For  many  years 

(187) 


188  Catawba  College 

he  was  a  trustee  of  this  institution  and  through  a  long 
period  he  was  president  of  the  Board  and  chairman  of 
the  Executive  Committee.  He  was  also  a  trustee  of 
Claremont  College.  After  he  became  pastor  of  Cor- 
inth Reformed  Church  of  Hickory  he  was  prevailed  up- 
on to  become  President  of  Claremont  College.  His 
work  in  this  capacity  was  truly  great.  Dr.  Murphy's 
modesty  would  not  allow  him  to  tell  in  full  the  accom- 
plishments of  Claremont  College  during  his  adminis- 
tration. But  there  are  hundreds  of  women  all  over 
the  land  who  testify  to  the  greatness  of  this  man  as 
an  educator. 

It  was  the  sincere  desire  of  Dr.  Murphy  to  see  Ca- 
tawba College  made  our  college  for  boys  and  Claremont 
College  our  institution  for  girls.  And  it  was  a  very 
great  disappointment  to  him  when  the  Classis  of  North 
Carolina  finally  surrendered  control  of  Claremont  Col- 
lege. Dr.  Murphy  did  not  live  to  see  our  "Greater  Ca- 
tawba College,"  having  been  suddenly  called  to  his 
heavenly  reward  in  1917.  But  Catawba  College  never 
had  a  truer  friend  and  more  ardent  supporter  than 
that  great  churchman  and  educator. 

The  following  pages  of  this  chapter  are  taken  rather 
fully  and  freely  from  Dr.  Murphy's  pamphlet,  "A  His- 
torical Sketch  of  Claremont  College." 

The  action  of  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina  taken  at  Newton, 
May  24,  1915,  suspending  the  work  of  Claremont  College,  forms 
an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  educational  work  of  the  Reformed 
church  in  the  state,  and  closes  an  institution  which  has  been 
the  pride  of  the  community  and  the  glory  of  the  city  of  Hickory. 
During  the  thirty-five  years  while  this  school  was  open,  it  edu- 
cated hundreds  of  young  ladies  and  had  on  its  teaching  force 
some  of  the  greatest  educators  of  the  country.  It  is  thought  proper 


Catawba  in  Relation  to  Claremont        189 

that  some  record  of  this  school  should  be  placed  in  permanent 
form,  and  I,  have  set  myself  to  the  task  of  recording  the  facts  as 
I  may  be  able  to  gather  them,  although  the  material  at  hand  is 
very  scant. 

Claremont  Female  College  had  its  origin  in  a  meeting  of  the 
consistory  of  Corinth  Reformed  church  of  Hickory,  North  Caro- 
lina, held  in  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Wilfong  on  April  24, 
1880.  The  records  state  that  the  meeting  was  held  at  the  re- 
quest of  "Sister  Wilfong."  The  object  of  the  meeting  was  to 
consider  establishing  a  school  for  the  education  of  the  girls  of 
the  community  and  especially  of  the  girls  of  the  Reformed 
church.  At  that  time  there  was  no  girl's  school  in  Hickory; 
Messrs.  Blair  and  Ivey  conducted  a  mixed  school,  and  the  Re- 
formed church  in  North  Carolina  had  no  school  for  girls. 

There  were  present  at  this  meeting  the  Rev.  Jeremiah  Ingold, 
pastor  of  Corinth  congregation,  W.  P.  Reinhardt,  and  J.  F.  Mur- 
rill,  elders  in  this  congregation,  and  A.  A.  Shuford,  A.  C.  Link. 
F.  D.  Ingold,  deacons  in  the  same  congregation.  Mrs.  Wilfong 
stated  that  she  had  voluntarily  gone  to  see  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry 
W.  Robinson  and  had  asked  them  to  donate  a  part  of  the  old 
Hickory  Tavern  lot  for  a  site  for  a  new  church  building;  that 
they  had  granted  her  request,  and  had  promised  to  give  forty 
feet  in  width  across  the  lot.  On  motion  of  A.  A.  Shuford, 
seconded  by  A.  C.  Link,  the  donation  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robinson 
was  accepted,  and  it  was  decided  that  a  new  church  should  be 
built  and  the  old  church  be  converted  into  a  school  for  girls. 
While  many  plans  for  inaugurating  this  new  project  were  offered, 
the  plan  suggested  by  J.  F.  Murrill  seems  to  have  been  the  one 
which  met  the  approval  of  all  present.  Mr.  Murrill's  plan  was  to 
employ  a  competent  lady  teacher  who  for  the  present  would  co- 
operate with  Messrs.  Blair  and  Ivey,  who  were  conducting  a 
school  on  the  first  floor  of  the  Reformed  church.  The  plan, 
though  approved  and  adopted  at  this  meeting,  seems  never  to 
have  been  executed. 

About  this  time  the  Rev.  Samuel  R.  Fisher,  D.  D.,  of  Phila- 
delphia, editor  of  the  Reformed  Church  Messenger,  visited  the 
Rev.  Dr.  J.  A.  Foil  of  Newton  and  also  made  a  visit  to  Dr. 
Jeremiah  Ingold  of  Hickory.  The  plans  for  the  new  school  were 
laid  before  Dr.  Fisher,  who  on  his  return  wrote  some  articles  in 
the  Reformed  Church  Messenger,  setting  forth  the  wonderful 
opening  there  was  in  this  part  of  the  country  for  such  a  school. 
These  articles  attracted  the  attention  of  Rev.  A.  S.  Vaughan, 
who  had  been  president  of  Catawba  College,  at  Newton,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  war  between  the  states.     Mr.  Vaughan  at  once 


190  Catawba  College 

corresponded  with  Dr.  Ingold  concerning  the  school  project.  On 
the  10th  day  of  July,  1880,  a  special  meeting  of  the  consistory  of 
Corinth  church  was  called  by  Dr.  Ingold  "to  consider  a  propo- 
sition from  Rev.  A.  S.  Vaughan  to  return  to  North  Carolina  and 
build  up  a  female  school  of  high  grade  in  or  near  Hickory/'  This 
meeting  was  held  in  the  home  of  A.  L.  Shuford,  a  deacon  in  the 
Corinth  congregation.  This  proposition  received  favorable  con- 
sideration by  all  present,  and  the  pastor,  Rev.  Dr.  Ingold,  was 
instructed  to  write  Mr.  Vaughan  to  ascertain  more  fully  his 
plans,  and,  when  he  had  received  such  information,  to  call  the 
consistory  together.  At  another  meeting  of  the  consistory  held  in 
July  it  was  decided  that  Dr.  Ingold  should  write  Mr.  Vaughan 
and  request  him  to  visit  Hickory  so  that  the  consistory  might 
ascertain  by  a  personal  interview  the  chances  of  success.  This 
meeting  was  held  in  the  office  of  F.  D.  Ingold,  a  deacon  of  the 
congregation.  In  response  to  this  invitation,  Mr.  Vaughan 
came  to  Hickory  and  appeared  before  the  consistory  of  Corinth 
church  at  a  meeting  held  on  August  5,  1880.  This  must  have 
been  a  meeting  of  much  interest  and  earnest  discussion. 

That  there  might  be  no  delay  in  the  work,  and  to  provide  some 
support  for  Mr.  Vaughan,  Dr.  Ingold  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Shuford, 
pastors  of  the  Hickory  and  Grace  charges,  respectively,  voluntari- 
ly resigned  their  charges  in  favor  of  Mr.  Vaughan,  who  was  to 
become  pastor  of  Hickory,  Bethel,  Grace  and  Daniel's  congrega- 
tions and  serve  these  churches  in  connection  with  his  work  in 
establishing  the  new  school.  The  action  of  the  Rev.  Messrs. 
Ingold  and  Shuford  is  the  more  magnanimous  when  it  is  remem- 
bered that  Rev.  Mr.  Vaughan,  although  educated  and  ordained 
a  minister  of  the  Reformed  church,  was  at  this  time  a  minister 
in  the  Presbyterian  church.  It  was  agreed  and  understood, 
however,  that  Mr.  Vaughan  should  unite  with  the  Reformed 
church  when  he  came  to  Hickory,  and  that  he  was  to  be  in- 
stalled pastor  of  the  above  mentioned  churches.  This  he  never 
did.  He  held  his  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  church  while 
serving  the  Reformed  churches,  and  died  a  minister  in  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

It  will  be  observed  that  all  these  meetings  preliminary  to  es- 
tablishing the  new  school  were  with  the  consistory  of  Corintn 
Reformed  church  of  Hickory.  The  idea  of  the  school  was  con- 
ceived in  this  congregation;  the  initiatory  steps  were  taken  by 
the  consistory  of  this  congregation;  and  the  expenses  so  far 
had  been  borne  by  this  congregation.  When  Mr.  Vaughan  ap- 
peared in  August,  before  the  consistory  of  Corinth  church  he  was 
full  of  enthusiasm  and  zeal,  perhaps  visionary  in  its  scope.     He 


Catawba  in  Relation  to  Claremont        191 

had  great  plans.  He  had  a  vision  of  a  school,  the  greatest  in  the 
South;  it  was  to  be  the  Wellesley  of  the  South.  He  seemed  to  be 
equally  confident  that  he  could  secure  sufficient  money  from  the 
North  to  finance  his  scheme.  He  dreamed  of  great  philanthropic 
souls  in  the  north  on  charity  bent. 

The  one  thing  which  stood  in  the  way  of  the  great  school 
which  he  proposed  was  the  character  of  the  institution  to  be  estab- 
lished. It  must  be  of  a  broader  type  than  a  denominational 
school.  It  must  be  independent  of  any  denomination,  but  include 
all  the  denominations  represented  in  this  community.  He  writes: 
"What  is  called  sectarianism,  an  evil  connected  with  modern 
forms  of  Christian  activity,  is  to  be  forever  excluded.  Christ,  and 
his  precious  Word  form  the  central  principles  of  all  nurture  and 
instruction.  Christ  in  the  heart  is  the  key  that  unlocks  all  the 
glories  of  the  universe."  A  beautiful  sentiment  indeed  if  it 
could  have  been  realized.  He  had  high  ideals.  It  was  never  to 
be  in  any  sense  a  fashionable  boarding1  school.  He  says:  "A  wo- 
man trained  with  no  higher  idea  of  her  important  mission  in 
life  than  to  spend  money  on  dress,  to  wiggle  in  the  ball  room,  and 
to  make  a  show  in  society,  is  indeed  a  pitiable  example  of  human 
folly."  Such  high  ideals  appealed  strongly  to  the  catholic  spirit 
of  our  Reformed  people,  but  they  were  of  conservative  German 
type  of  citizenship  and  hesitated  just  a  little.  It  is  said  that  H. 
W.  Robinson  especially  objected  to  the  complete  change  in  the 
original  plan.  On  July  27,  1880,  Mr.  Robinson  had  made  a  deed 
for  twenty-two  acres  of  land.  The  stipulation  in  this  deed  was 
one  dollar  in  hand  paid,  and  the  free  tuition  of  the  four  daughters 
of  John  W.  Robinson  and  his  two  sons  while  under  ten  years  of 
age.  Yielding  somewhat  to  Mr.  Vaughan's  plans,  the  men  who 
organized  this  movement  solicited  the  entire  community,  and  the 
town  became  interested. 

This  school  was  organized  under  a  charter  granted  by  the  State 
of  North  Carolina,  August  25,  1880.  The  committee  on  organiza- 
tion was  composed  of  seven  persons,  viz:  J.  F.  Murrill,  chairman, 
J.  G.  Hall,  A.  A.  Shuford,  A.  L.  Shuford,  R.  B.  Davis,  and  two 
other  members  whose  names  are  not  recorded. 
The  following  is  the  charter: 

CLAREMONT  COLLEGE, 
North  Carolina,  Catawba  County. 

We,  J.  F.  Murrill,  J.  G.  Hall,  A.  M.  Peeler,  R.  B.  Davis,  A.  A. 
Shuford,  A.  L.  Shuford,  A.  S.  Abernethy,  W.  P.  Reinhardt,  J.  W. 
Robinson,  M.  L.  McCorkle,  S.  T.  Wilfong,  R.  W.  McComb,  Rev.  J. 
Ingold,  Dr.  J.  T.  Johnson  and  A.  C.  Link,  all  of  the  county  of 
Catawba,  and  the  state  of  North  Carolina,  being  desirous  of  form- 


192  Catawba  College 

ing  ourselves  into  a  private  corporation,  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
moting female  education  and  establishing  a  female  college  in  the 
town  of  Hickory,  in  the  county  and  the  state  aforesaid,  of  high 
grade  by  the  name  of  Claremont  Female  College,  and  by  that 
name  shall  have  a  perpetual  succession  and  common  seal  and 
shall  be  able  and  capable  to  sue  and  be  sued  in  law  and  equity 
and  to  plead  and  be  impleaded  and  shall  take,  demand  and  re- 
ceive and  possess  all  goods  and  chattels,  lands  snd  tenements 
which  may  be  given  to  said  corporation,  or  said  trustees  and 
their  successors  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  said  corporation,  and 
shall  take  and  receive  all  donations  made  and  appropriate  them 
according  to  the  wishes  of  the  donors  and  to  the  purpose  herein- 
after declared,  and  by  purchase  or  otherwise  shall  take,  hold  and 
possess  to  themselves  and  their  successors  in  office  forever  any 
lands  and  tenements  which  may  be  sufficient  for  said  college  and 
college  purposes  and  may  purchase  and  hold  for  the  purpose 
of  said  institution  said  personal  property  as  they  may  deem  neces- 
sary, provided  the  said  real  and  personal  property  shall  not  ex- 
ceed in  value  at  any  one  time  the  Sum  of  Two  Hundred  Thou- 
sand  Dollars    ($200,000). 

I.  That  said  trustees  of  said  corporation  and  their  successors 
in  office  shall  have  power  to  elect  such  president,  professors  and 
tutors  for  said  college  as  they  may  see  fit  and  proper  and  have 
power  to  remove  the  same  for  misbehavior,  inability  or  neglect 
of  duty  or  any  other  sufficient  cause  as  to  them  may  seem  ex- 
pedient. 

II.  That  upon  the  death  or  resignation  or  removal  of  any  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  out  of  the  State  of  North  Carolina,  his  place 
shall  be  filled  by  the  congregation  or  church  to  which  he  belongs 
or  is  a  member,  provided,  that  in  case  of  the  failure  of  any  church 
or  congregation  to  appoint  a  trustee  after  reasonable  notice  of 
such  vacancy,  the  Board  of  Trustees  may  elect,  provided  always 
that  three-fifths  of  said  trustees  shall  be  members  of  the  Re- 
formed church,  formerly  known  as  the  German  Reformed  church, 
and  provided  further  that  said  trustees  shall  have  power  to  re- 
move any  one  of  their  number  for  misconduct,  neglect  of  duty, 
inability  or  other  sufficient  cause. 

III.  That  said  trustees  shall  have  power  of  conferring  such 
degrees  and  marks  of  Classical  and  literary  distinction  as  is  usual 
in  colleges  and  universities. 

IV.  That  said  trustees  may  admit  into  said  College,  as  pupils, 
boys  under  the  age  of  ten  years,  in  the  Primary  Department. 

V.  That  said  trustees,  or  a  majority,  may  make  such  By-Laws, 
Rules  and  Regulations  for  the  government  of  said  college  as  they 


Catawba  in  Relation  to  Claremont        193 

may  deem  best  for  the  same,  not  inconsistent  with  the  constitu- 
tion and  laws  of  North  Carolina  and  those  of  the  United  States. 

VI.  That  whenever  either  of  said  trustees  shall  remove  from 
the  State  of  North  Carolina  or  cease  to  be  a  member  of  the  church 
or  denomination  to  which  he  belongs  at  the  time  of  appointment 
or  election  or  to  be  a  member  of  the  church  from  which  he  may 
have  been  selected  by  his  respective  congregation  his  place  shall 
be  vacated  and  filled  as  is  heretofore  provided  in  case  of  death 
or  resignation. 

VII.  The  officers  of  this  corporation  shall  be  a  president,  secre- 
tary, and  treasurer  to  be  elected  by  the  board  of  trustees. 

VIII.  That  the  said  trustees  shall  make  such  rules  and  regula- 
tions as  to  the  duties  and  the  manner  of  electing  their  officers  as 
they  may  see  fit. 

IX.  The  individual  corporators  shall  not  be  individually  liable 
for  the  debts  of  said  corporation. 

X.  No  person  of  color  shall  be  admitted  a  pupil  in  said  insti- 
tution. 

J.  P.  Murrill,  J.   G.   Hall, 

A.  M.  Peeler,  R.  B.  Davis, 

A.  A.  Shttford,  A.    S.    Abernethy, 

A.  L.  Shtjeord,  W.    P.    Relnhardt, 

John  W.  Robinson,  M.    L.    McCorkle, 

J.  Ixgold,  R.   W.   McComb, 

A.  C.  Link,  J.   T.  Johnson, 

S.    T.    WlLF<ONG. 

E.  L.  Shuford,  Attest. 

North  Carolina,     ) 

Catawba  County,    f 

The  execution  of  the  foregoing  paper  writing  by  the  parties 
signing  the  same  was  this  the  28th  day  of  July  A.  D.  1880,  duly 
proved  before  me  by  the  oath  and  examination  of  Ed.  L.  Shu- 
ford submitting  witness  thereto.  Therefore  let  said  agreement 
and  certificate  be  Registered. 

M.  0.  Sherrill, 
Judge  of  Probate. 

Filed  and  Registered  July  28,  at  4  p.  m.,  1880,  in  Book  on  Pages 
59  and  60,  G.  W.  Cochran,  Register  of  Deeds. 

The  charter  provides  that  the  school  should  be  known  as  "Clare- 
mont Female  College;"  that  there  should  be  fifteen  trustees;  that 
three-fifths  of  these  should  be  members  of  the  Reformed  church, 
commonly  known  as  the  German  Reformed  church — all  of  them 
might  be — but  three-fifths  must  be;  that  its  management  and 
control   should   be   undenominational.     Another   interesting  pro- 


194  Catawba  College 

vision  in  the  charter  was  that  no  person  of  color  should  be  ad- 
mitted as  a  pupil  in  the  institution.  Evidently  the  promoters 
were  somewhat  suspicious  of  the  Northern  influence  brought  to 
bear  in  establishing  the  school.  Another  equally  interesting 
provision  showing  the  mind  of  the  founders  on  co-education  is  the 
provision  that  no  boy  over  ten  years  old  should  be  admitted.  The 
charter  provides  a  board  of  Trustees  of  fifteen  members  whose 
names  appear  above. 

While  the  charter  specifically  provides  that  nine  out  of  the 
fifteen  trustees  must  be  members  of  the  Reformed  church  and 
mentions  no  other  church,  provision,  however,  is  made  for  elect- 
ing successors  to  the  above  members,  and  in  this  way  recognition 
is  given  to  other  churches.  It  provides  "That  upon  the  resigna- 
tion, or  removal  of  any  member  of  the  board  out  of  the  state 
of  North  Carolina  his  place  shall  be  filled  by  the  congregation  or 
church,  to  which  he  belongs  or  is  a  member."  Again  it  is  pro- 
vided, "That  whenever  either  of  said  trustees,  shall  remove  from 
the  state  of  North  Carolina,  or  cease  to  be  a  member  of  the  church 
or  denomination  to  which  he  belonged  at  the  time  of  his  appoint- 
ment, or  selection,  or  to  be  a  member  of  the  church  or  denomina- 
tion to  which  he  belonged  at  the  time  of  his  appointment,  or 
selection,  or  to  be  a  member  of  the  church  from  which  he  may 
have  been  selected  by  his  respective  congregation,  his  place  shall 
be  vacated  and  filled  as  heretofore  provided  in  case  of  death  or 
removal." 

In  view  of  this  statement  it  might  be  of  value  to  record  the 
denominational  relation  of  each  of  the  above  named  trustees.  J. 
F.  Murrill,  A.  A.  Shuford,  A.  L.  Shuford,  W.  P.  Reinhardt,  J.  In- 
gold,  S,.  T.  Wilfong,  John  W.  Robinson,  M.  L.  McCorkle  and  A.  C. 
Link,  were  members  of  the  Reformed  church;  J.  G.  Hall,  Presby- 
terian; A.  M.  Peeler,  Lutheran;  R.  B.  Davis,  Episcopalian;  A.  S. 
Abernethy,  Methodist;  R.  W.  McComb,  Presbyterian;  and  J.  T. 
Johnson,  Methodist. 

The  school  was  formally  opened  in  the  fall  of  1880  in  the  Re- 
formed church  of  Hickory.  This  building  was  a  two-story 
structure  and  the  first  floor  was  divided  into  three  rooms  in  which 
the  teaching  was  done.  The  music  was  taught  at  the  home  of  J. 
F.  Murrill.  (The  Reformed  church  at  that  time  stood  on  9th 
Avenue  and  adjoined  the  old  cemetery  on  the  west  side.)  At  the 
opening  the  faculty  was  composed  of  Rev.  A.  S.  Vaughan,  Miss 
Edwina  Shearn,  and  Miss  More.  The  school  was  started 
on  the  high  plane  outlined  at  the  beginning  by  Mr.  Vaughn. 
There  were  to  be  three  distinct  departments  of  instruction.  First 
was  the  primary  and  included  five  years;  the  second  was  the  pre- 


Catawba  in  Relation  to  Claremont        195 

paratory  and  included  four  years;  the  third  was  the  college  course 
and  included  four  years.  In  the  college  there  were  six  courses  of 
study.  These  courses  included  Hebrew,  Sanscrit,  Greek,  Latin, 
Saxon,  French,  Spanish,  Italian,  Vocal  and  Instrumental  Music, 
Drawing,  or  Painting.  Wellesley  was  the  model  after  which  Clare- 
mont was  patterned,  and  the  course  of  study  was  fashioned  after 
the  Wellesley  curriculum.  No  teachers  were  to  be  employed  ex- 
cept graduates  from  Wellesley  and  Smith,  or  from  schools  their 
equal  in  scholastic  standing.  Not  only  were  the  courses  of  study 
well  arranged,  but  the  buildings  were  admirably  planned.  The 
present  commodious  building  was  intended  to  be  only  the  south 
wing  of  the  projected  building,  which  was  to  include  chapel,  li^ 
brary,  class  rooms,  laboratory,  parlor,  reception  rooms,  rooms  for 
cabinet,  drawing,  painting,  and  music  both  vocal  and  instru- 
mental. There  was  a  plan  to  erect  a  number  of  halls.  One  hall 
was  to  be  for  young  women  who  wished  to  do  missionary  work; 
another  was  to  be  for  the  young  women  who  wished  to  prepare 
themselves  for  teaching;  and  another  hall  for  orphan  girls.  The 
standard  of  the  school  can  be  judged  by  the  course  of  study 
prescribed. 

FRESHMAN  CLASS. 

Bible,  Lectures  on  Old  Testament  Literature. 

Latin,  Cicero  and  Virgil. 

Greek,  Testament,  Xenophon  and  Homer. 

Mathematics,  University  Algebra. 

History,  Lectures  and  Text. 

Literature,  Lectures  and  Text. 

SOPHOMORE    CLASS. 

Bible,  Lectures  on  Old  Testament  Literature. 

Latin,  Livy  and  Horace. 

Greek,  Testament,  Herodotus  and  Plato. 

Mathematics,  Geometry. 

History,  Lectures  and  Text. 

Literature,  Lectures  and  Text. 

Chemistry,  Theoretical  and  Applied. 

Botany,  Lectures  and  Text. 

JUNIOR  CLASS. 

Bible,  Lectures  on  New  Testament  Literature. 

Latin,  Tacitus  and  Ovid. 

Greek,  Testament,  Plato  and  Thucydides. 


196  Catawba  College 

Mental  Science,  Lectures  and  Text. 

Mathematics,  Trigonometry. 

Physics,  Lectures  and  Text. 

Physiology,  Lectures  and  Text. 

Rhetoric,  Lectures  and  Text. 

Elocution,  Lectures  and  Text. 

French. 

German. 

Italian. 

Anglo-Saxon. 

SENIOR  CLASS. 

Bible,  Lectures  on  the  Literature  of  the  Apostolic  Church. 

Christian  Ethics,  Lectures  and  Text. 

Latin  Selections. 

Greek  Selections. 

Mathematics,  Calculus. 

Astronomy,  Lectures  and  Text. 

History,  Lectures  and  Text. 

Mineralogy,  Lectures  and  Text. 

Geology,  Lectures  and  Text. 

Literature,  Special  Authors. 

Science  and  Revelation,  Lectures  and  Text. 

French. 

German. 

Italian. 

Spanish. 
In  addition  to  the  prescribed  literary  course,  there  was  a 
Teacher's  Course.  This  was  provided  especially  for  those  who 
desired  to  make  teaching  a  profession.  Musical  courses  were  to 
be  established  according  to  the  best  Observatory  methods  of  this 
country  and  Europe;  there  was  a  course  in  Art.  Instruction  was 
given  in  Drawing  and  Painting.  A  Domestic  Science  Course  was 
also  under  consideration.  The  Preparatory  school  offered  a  four 
year's  course  and  carried  the  students  up  to  a  study  of  Latin  and 
Greek.  The  Primary  school  also  included  a  four-year  course. 
The  Kindergarten  was  intended  for  children  under  six  years  of 
age.  The  children  were  to  be  taught  without  books,  but  were 
to  have  an  enclosed  yard  planted  with  flowers  and  shrubs  and 
tastefully  laid  out.  The  children  were  to  be  "taught,  trained, 
amused,  and  interested." 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  note  some  of  the  regulations  and  rules 

which  obtained  in  those  days.     Among  the  many  we  note  a  few: 

"No  student  is  permitted  to  indulge  in  eating  between  meals. 


Catawba  in  Relation  to  Claremont        197 

"Boxes  of  eatables,  or  nuts,  and  candies  from  home  are  not 
permitted  to  be  received,  and  any  student  known  to  receive  such 
a  box  in  a  clandestine  way,  will  be  immediately  dismissed  from 
the  institution.  Young  women  ought  to  know  that  students  do 
not  live  to  eat,  but  eat  to  live  and  that,  too,  as  long  as  the  most 
careful  observance  of  the  rules  of  Hygiene  will  permit. 

"No  student  may  have  any  escort  to  or  from  school,  church, 
lecture,  or  other  public  gatherings.  No  calls  or  visits  from  young 
men  are  permitted  except  by  written  permission  of  parents  and 
such  visits  must  be  confined  to  Friday  in  the  parlor  and  from  4 
to  6  o'clock.  No  calls  or  visits  may  be  received  on  the  Lord's 
Day,  and  walking  and  driving  for  pleasure  are  forbidden.  No 
student  is  permitted  to  attend  any  ball,  or  dance." 

These  and  many  others  of  like  character  help  to  determine  the 
discipline  administered  in  the  early  days  of  Claremont  College. 

In  the  early  days  Claremont  had  three  societies.  The  Ar- 
gonauts was  a  literary  society  and  met  once  a  week  for  "improve- 
ment, in  Reading,  Essay-Writing,  and  Debate."  This  society  was 
organized  in  1881,  and  held  the  first  public  debate  on  January  15, 
1882.  The  following  was  the  subject:  Resolved,  That  Women 
should  not  vote.  The  affirmative  was  upheld  by  Emma  Ingold, 
Dora  Wilfong  and  Amelia  McComb.  The  negative  was  discussed 
by  Lizzie  McComb,  Mattie  Robinson  and  Inez  Hiller.  It  is  said 
that  the  negative  won  the  question.  The  second  society  was  a 
musical  society  and  was  under  the  direction  of  the  teachers  of 
vocal  and  instrumental  music.  The  incentive  to  join  this  society 
was  the  offer  of  free  instruction  in  choral  singing.  The  third 
was  a  missionary  society  the  object  of  which  was  to  increase 
missionary  intelligence.  Later  two  literary  societies  were  or- 
ganized, the  one  called  "The  Minervian,"  and  the  other  "The 
Columbian." 

Such  was  the  high  ideal  set  for  Claremont.  The  attention  of 
the  public  was  being  drawn  to  this  institution,  and  we  have  a 
pamphlet,  with  an  introduction  written  in  1882  by  the  late  Gov. 
Thomas  J.  Jarvis,  commending  the  work  of  Claremont  College. 

While  the  school  was  being  taught  in  the  Reformed  church, 
work  on  the  building  was  being  carried  on  under  the  direction 
and  supervision  of  A.  L.  Shuford.  The  money  to  erect  this  build- 
ing was  secured  by  taking  subscriptions,  for  the  most  part  in  the 
community.  There  are  no  subscription  lists  or  books  available  by 
which  it  can  be  determined  who  gave  the  money  or  from  what 
source  it  came,  but  the  testimony  of  living  witnesses  is  that  it 
came  mostly,  if  not  altogether,  from  the  town  of  Hickory,  and 
largely  from  the  Reformed  church  of  Hickory. 


198  Catawba  College 

The  following  additional  teachers  were  secured  by  Mr.  Vaughan: 
Miss  Batchelor,  Miss  Ida  Pettit,  Miss  Belle  Haven,  Miss  Alice 
Eversten,  Miss  May  Ramsaur,  Miss  Amelia  McCombs,  Librarian; 
Sarah  C.  Perrin,  Superintendent,  Catering,  Cooking,  and  House- 
keeping. 

The  first  concert  was  given  in  the  Reformed  church  on  De- 
cember 21,  1881.  Among  the  performers  were  some  who  are 
now  mothers  of  happy  families  in  Hickory. 

The  following  program  gives  evidence  of  the  high  grade  of 
work: 

Chorus — '"Swiss  Mountaineer." 

Piano  Trio— March  Millitaire,  Op.  75,  Streab. 

Miss  McComb. 
Chorus — Praise  of   Singing,   Hiller. 
Piano  Duet — Studenten  Lied,  Kretchman. 

Miss  Shuford. 
Song — King  Christmas,  Hatton. 
Miss  Emma  Ingold. 
Chorus — "Ivy,  ivy,  winter-green."     Mozart. 
Piano  Trio — Scotch  Airs,  D'Albert. 
Miss  Etta  Suttlemyre. 
Miss  Ida  Ingold. 
Miss  Lizzie  McComb. 
Quartette — The  Triton,  Molloy. 
Piano  Duet — Kahufahrt,  Op.  19-9,  Lowe. 
Chorus — Loreley,  Sitcher. 

Miss  Whitener. 
Piano — Valse  Duet,  Op.  14-7,  Streaborg. 
Miss  Nelia  Lawrence. 
Miss  Carrie  Holden. 
Vocal  Duet— "O  How  Sweet  the  Hunter's  Song."    Kucken. 
Miss  M.  Whitener. 
Miss  S.  Whitener. 
Miss  S.  Shuford. 
Miss  M.  Mcintosh. 
Piano   Duet— Boildieau.      ("From  Caliph   of   Bagdad.") 
Miss  Mattie  Abernethy. 
Miss  Etta  Suttlemyre. 
Vocal  Duet— "Lightly  may  the  boat  row."     Watson. 
Miss  Ella  Shuford. 
Miss  Etta  Suttlemyre. 
Miss  A.  McComb. 
Miss  Mary  Robinson. 
Miss  L.  McComb. 


Catawba  in  Relation  to  Claremont        199 

Piano  Duet — A.  B.  C. 

Misses  Robinson. 
Chorus — (a)    "Nobody  ask  you  to."    (b)    "We  bid   thee  wel- 
come." 
Chorus — Thy  Flowery  Bank."     Meyerbeer. 
Piano  Duet — For  two  pianos.     Polonaise,  Op.  9;    Schmidt. 
Miss  S.  Whitener. 
Miss  M.  Whitener. 
Miss  M.  Abernethy. 
Miss  Etta  Suttlemyre. 
Vocal  Duet — From  the  opera  of  II  Trovatore. 
"Home  of  our  mountains."     Verdi. 
Miss  May  Ramsaur. 
Miss  M.  Abernethy. 
Vocal  Duet — "The  land  of  the  swallows."    Masini. 
Chorus — "The  little  bird."     Soederbery. 
Solo  by  Miss  Emma  Ingold. 
Piano  Trio — Op.  27,  Mozart.   (From  the  opera  of  Don  Juan.) 
Miss  Etta  Suttlemyre. 
Miss  Ida  Ingold. 
Miss  Mattie  Abernethy. 
Rounds — (a)  "The  Birds  around  me  are  pouring."  (b)  Hark! 

the  distant  clock. 
Chorus — Good  Night. 
The  school  continued  to  be  taught  in  the  Reformed  church  until 
the  beginning  of  the  fall  term  of  1883,  when  the  brick  building 
was    sufficiently   completed   to   permit   the   removal   to    this   new 
building. 

Unable  to  fulfill  the  promise  he  had  made  to  the  trustees  to 
secure  money  from  the  North  to  build  the  school,  disappointed 
in  realizing  his  expectations  in  other  directions,  discouraged  and 
disheartened,  Rev.  A.  S.  Vaughan  resigned  the  presidency  of 
Claremont  at  the  end  of  1883  and  left  the  school  at  the  beginning 
of  1884.  It  is  only  just  to  say  that  those  who  knew  Mr.  Vaughan 
best  think  that  he  was  self-deceived;  that  he  had  led  himself  to 
believe  that  in  this  great  undertaking  to  establish  a  great  school 
for  the  Southern  girls  he  would  meet  with  a  ready  response 
from  the  philanthropise  souls  of  the  North.  He  was  honest,  but 
disappointed  in  his  honest  expectations.  His  resignation  was  a 
great  disappointment  to  the  trustees  and  the  community.  Their 
high  hopes  vanished  like  the  mist  before  the  morning  sun.  They 
were  left  without  any  fixed  policy  and  no  definite  plans  for  the 
future;  Miss  Florence  L.  Chase,  who  had  been  a  member  of  Mr. 
Vaughan's  faculty,  was  engaged  to  complete  the  school  year. 


200  Catawba  College 

As  "the  burned  child  dreads  the  fire,"  so  the  trustees  were  slow 
to  take  hold  of  any  new  plan.  They  were  without  money,  and 
with  no  organization  behind  them.  They  had  adopted  the  policy 
of  the  undenominational  school,  but  now  found  their  school  an 
orphan.  Having  nothing  to  offer,  and  no  friends  to  whom  they 
could  appeal,  their  only  hope  was  to  secure  some  one  who  would 
assume  the  financial  responsibility  and  conduct  the  school. 
They  were  fortunate  however,  in  selecting  their  teachers,  and 
brought  to  the  school  some  of  the  best  teaching  talent  in  the 
country.  Mrs.  Alice  Thurston,  the  widow  of  a  much  beloved 
Presbyterian  minister,  was  secured  to  take  charge  of  the  school 
at  the  beginning  of  the  fall  term  of  1884.  With  Mrs.  Thurston 
were  associated  Miss  Mary  Geitner,  Miss  Emma  Bonney  and 
Prof.  R.  K.  Meade.  This  was  a  strong  faculty  and  would  doubt- 
less have  made  a  success  of  the  school,  but  the  trustees  were  not 
able  to  retain  them.  They  remained  only  one  year.  In  the 
meantime,  Miss  Bonney's  mother,  who  was  the  widow  of  a 
Presbyterian  missionary  to  China,  came  to  visit  her  daughter, 
Miss  Emma,  and  was  secured  to  take  charge  of  the  school.  Mrs. 
Bcnney  was  a  woman  of  great  piety  and  culture,  and  she  secured 
a  good  faculty,  but  she  remained  in  charge  of  the  school  for  only 
one  year,  leaving  at  the  close  of  the  spring  of  1887. 

In  the  fall  of  1888  the  Trustees  secured  Prof.  W.  H.  Sanborn 
to  take  charge  cf  the  school.  Mr.  Sanborn  had  been  conducting 
Davenport  College  at  Lenoir  with  marked  success.  He  had  mar- 
ried in  Germany,  and  he  and  his  wife  had  been  students  of 
music  in  the  Conservatory  at  Leipsic,  Germany.  Their  reputa- 
tions as  teachers  of  music  were  well  established.  He  gathered 
around  him  an  able  faculty,  including  Judge  C.  A.  Cilley,  Mrs. 
Von  Bulow,  a  teacher  of  national  reputation,  and  Miss  Laura  Nor- 
wood. He  had  also  a  fine  student  body,  including  girls  from  the 
leading  families  in  the  state.  His  coming  inspired  the  trustees 
with  renewed  hope.  They  erected  an  addition  to  the  building. 
It  was  at  this  time  that  the  east  wing,  or  "Long  Hall",  was 
erected.  In  order  to  secure  money  to  erect  this  additional  build- 
ing, a  part  of  the  campus  was  sold  and  bonds  were  issued.  Mr. 
Sanborn  conducted  Claremont  upon  a  high  plane  and  his  musical 
school  was  the  best  in  this  part  of  the  state.  The  school  was  not, 
however,  a  financial  success,  and  in  1892,  he  resigned  to  accept 
a  school  in  Tennessee.  Some  of  the  best  musicians  in  Hickory 
today,  received  their  musical  foundation  from  Prof.  Sanborn. 

Rev.  J.  L.  Murphy,  who  had  recently 'been  called  to  become 
pastor  of  the  Corinth  Reformed  church  of  Hickory,  was  asked  to 
take  charge  of  the  school  in  connection  with  his  pastoral  duties. 


Catawba  in  Relation  to  Clare mont        201 

This  he  did,  and  moved  into  the  college  in  July,  1892.  He  had 
associated  with  him  Rev.  C.  E.  Woodruff,  a  young  Baptist  min- 
ister, who  was  a  profound  scholar.  The  number  of  boarding 
pupils  was  increased,  and  the  first  year  was  encouraging.  At  the 
end  of  the  first  year,  Prof.  Woodruff  left  and  entered  the  Univer- 
sity of  Chicago  to  work  for  his  doctor's  degree. 

The  second  year  of  Dr.  Murphy's  administration,  Dr.  P.  C. 
Mensch  was  secured  as  dean  of  the  school.  Dr.  Mensch  had 
studied  in  Germany  and  was  both  an  erudite  scholar  and  a 
great  teacher.  He  was,  however,  soon  elected  Professor  of  chemis- 
try in  Ursinus  College,  and  left  Claremont  at  Christmas.  Byron 
G.  Cole,  Ph.  D.,  of  New  York,  who  had  just  done  post  graduate 
work  at  Cornell  University,  was  secured  to  take  the  place  of  Dr. 
Mensch.  Dr.  Cole  resigned  after  remaining  at  Claremont  one  and 
a  half  years,  and  accepted  work  in  the  city  schools  of  Mount 
Airy.  Thomas  M.  Huffham  was  next  secured  to  teach,  which  he 
did  with  marked  ability.  Other  members  of  the  faculty  under  Dr. 
Murphy  were  Misses  May  Ramsaur,  Amanda  Clarke,  Julia  Greg- 
ory, Elizabeth  Krider,  Carolina  Link,  Edna  Farlow. 

In  the  year  1895,  the  Reformed  congregation  built  a  commo- 
dious parsonage  adjoining  the  college  campus,  into  which  Dr. 
Murphy  moved.  He  resigned  as  president  of  Claremont  College, 
his  resignation  becoming  effective  in  the  spring  of  1896.  During 
Dr.  Murphy's  presidency  the  debt  on  the  college  was  paid.  The 
trustees  then  leased  the  school  to  S.  P.  Hatton,  a  member  of  the 
faculty  of  Kee  Mar  College,  Hagerstown,  Maryland.  In  1900  S. 
P.  Hatton  transferred  his  lease  to  his  brother,  M.  W.  Hatton,  who 
in  1902  transferred  his  lease  to  A.  J.  Bolin.  The  Hattons  ad- 
vertised largely  and  had  more  students  than  the  building  would 
accommodate.  From  the  standpoint  of  numbers  the  administra- 
tion of  the  Hattons  was  the  most  prosperous  period  in  the  history 
of  Claremont  College,  and  the  faculty  also  was  strong. 

Mr.  Bolin's  lease  expired  in  1905.  Mr.  Bolin  had  among  his 
teachers  Miss  Maude  Forthman,  now  Mrs.  Dr.  J.  H.  Shuford  of 
Hickory.  The  trustees  next  leased  the  building  to  Prof.  D.  W. 
Reed,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Virginia.  Prof.  Reed  was  a 
man  of  liberal  culture,  and  his  wife  was  a  highly  educated  woman 
of  great  executive  ability.    Prof.  Reed's  lease  expired  July  1,  1907. 

On  July  22,  1907,  Rev.  W.  B.  Duttera  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Keller 
leased  the  school  for  a  period  of  five  years,  Dr.  Duttera,  being 
president  and  J.  H.  Keller,  dean.  Considerable  advertising  was 
done,  some  canvassing  was  made,  and  the  contracts  drawn  up, 
but  on  Sept.  9,  1909,  a  short  time  before  the  school  was  to  have 
opened,  the  lease  was  returned  unsigned.     The  reasons  assigned 


202  Catawba  College 

were  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Duttera  had  a  nervous  breakdown  and 
that  Mr.  Keller  could  not  leave  Mt.  Pleasant  for  that  year. 

The  trustees  then  turned  the  school  over  to  the  Rev.  J.  L. 
Murphy,  president  of  the  board,  to  make  the  best  possible  ar- 
rangements. A  faculty  was  secured  with  Prof.  N,  E.  Aull,  Miss 
Grace  Kirkpatrick,  Miss  Boyd,  Miss  Ora  Huffman,  and  Mrs.  Eu- 
bert  Lyerly  as  members,  and  on  September  17  the  school  opened 
with  a  fair  number  of  pupils.  Mrs.  Kirkpatrick  and  Mrs.  Louise 
Aull  had  charge  of  the  boarding  department.  The  same  ar- 
rangements continued  for  the  second  year,  Miss  Nanaette  Ballew 
teaching  in  the  place  of  Prof.  Aull,  and  Miss  Rhea  Sourbeer 
teaching  in  the  place  of  Miss  Kirkpatrick. 

On  February  8,  1907,  the  trustees  met  to  determine  the  future 
policy  of  the  school.  The  school  had  been  for  sometime  an  or- 
phan without  any  fostering  care  from  any  one.  It  was  felt  that 
if  some  denomination  were  placed  over  the  institution,  the 
success  of  the  school  would  be  assured.  F.  A.  Clinard  offered 
the  following: 

Resolved,  That  the  trustees  of  Claremont  Female  College  tender 
to  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina,  Reformed  church  in  the  United 
States,  for  the  girls'  school  or  young  ladies  school,  Claremont 
Female  College,  free  of  Rent,  said  Classis  to  make  all  necessary 
repairs  and  build  any  additional  buildings  they  may  deem  proper 
and  keep  the  property  insured  and  said  Classis  to  retain  said  Col- 
lege as  long  as  they  maintain  a  school  for  girls  or  young  ladies. 
Rev.  J.  L.  Murphy  was  appointed  to  convey  this  tender  to  the 
Classis  of  North  Carolina. 

The  Classis  met  in  the  Reformed  church  of  Hickory  on  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1907  and  took  the  following  action:  Resolved,  That 
we  hereby  express  our  sincere  appreciation  of  the  courteous  con- 
sideration and  generous  tender; 

Resolved,  That  we  look  with  favor  upon  the  proposition; 

Resolved,  That  we  appoint  a  commission  of  three  members  to 
confer  with  the  trustees  of  Claremont  Female  College  to  work 
out  a  legal  and  detailed  plan  for  the  proposed  transfer. 

The  committee  called  for  consisted  of  Revs.  J.  C.  Leonard,  W.  B. 
Duttera,  and  W.  W.  Rowe.  This  committee  met  the  board  of 
trustees,  and  the  following  is  their  report  made  to  the  Classis  of 
North  Carolina  at  the  annual  meeting  held  in  Burlington,  N.  C, 
May  8-11,  1907: 

TO  THE  CLASSIS  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA: 

Your  commission  appointed  at  the  special  meeting  in  Hickory 
February  28,  1907,  to  confer  with  the  Trustees  of  Claremont  Col- 
lege and  to  work  out  a  legal  and  detailed  plan  for  the  proposed 


Catawba  in  Relation  to  Claremont        203 

transfer  of  that  institution  to  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina  beg 
leave  to  submit  the  folowing  report: 

We  have  given  the  subject  careful  consideration.  We  find  that 
the  property  consists  of  17  acres  of  land  on  a  beautiful  elevation 
within  the  corporate  limits  of  the  town  of  Hickory.  Substantial 
brick  buildings  in  a  reasonably  good  state  of  preservation  oc- 
cupy a  central  position  in  a  campus  of  native  oaks.  The  build- 
ings contain  recitation  rooms,  a  chapel,  parlors,  dining  rooms, 
kitchen  and  dormitories  sufficient  to  accommodate  50  girls.  These 
buildings  have  water  connections  with  the  city  mains,  and  a 
rrivate  sewerage  system.  A  conservative  estimate  places  the 
value  of  the  property  at  $25,000.  The  Trustees  of  Claremont  Col- 
lege propose  the  following  terms  of  transfer: 

"1.  Articles  III  and  VII  of  the  charter  shall  be  so  amended  as 
to  lodge  in  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina,  Reformed  Church  in 
the  United  States,  the  election  of  three-fifths  of  the  said  Trustees 
of  Claremont  Female  College,  who  shall  be,  as  provided  by  the 
said  charter  of  the  said  Claremont  Female  College,  members  of 
the  said  Reformed  Church.  Successors  to  the  remaining  two- 
fifths  of  the  said  trustees  shall  be  elected  by  the  said  Board  of 
Trustees,  viz.,  the  Board  composed  of  those  elected  by  the  said 
Classis  of  North  Carolina  and  the  present  two-fifths  of  the  Trus- 
tees, and  thereafter  vacancies  in  the  two-fifths  number  shall  be 
filled  by  the  Board  of  Trustees.  Provided,  That  should  the 
Classis  of  North  Carolina  for  two  years  fail  to  maintain  a  female 
college  as  provided  by  the  charter,  then  the  said  property  shall 
revert  to  a  Board  of  Trustees  created  as  the  present  Board. 

2.  The  officers  of  this  Board  of  Trustees  are  hereby  directed 
to  take  at  once  the  steps  necessary  to  carry  the  foregoing  into 
legal  effect. 

3.  This  action  shall  go  into  effect  immediately  upon  legal 
ratification,  provided  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina  takes  favor- 
able action." 

Your  commission  after  a  careful  consideration  of  the  facts  in 
the  case  recommend  the  following: 

1.  That  the  term  of  transfer  proposed  by  the  Trustees  be  ap- 
proved, and  that  Claremont  Female  College  be  accepted  by  the 
Classis  of  North  Carolina. 

2.  That  the  Trustees  to  be  elected  by  Classis  be  divided  into 
three  groups  to  be  elected  at  this  meeting  as  follows: 

Three  to  be  elected  for  a  term  of  one  year,  three  for  a  term  of 
two  years  and  three  for  a  term  of  three  years;  and  that  hereafter 
successors  to  those  whose  term  expires  be  elected  at  each  annual 
meeting  of  Classis. 


204  Catawba  College 

3.  That  the  new  Board  of  Trustees  be  divided  into  three 
groups;  six  Trustees  to  be  chosen  by  the  Board;  two  to  be  chosen 
at  the  first  meeting  for  one  year,  two  for  two  years  and  two  for 
three  years,  and  thereafter  at  each  annual  meeting  of  the  Trus- 
tees successors  to  those  whose  term  expires  shall  be  chosen. 

4.  That  the  Trustees  elected  by  Classis  at  this  meeting  be 
instructed  to  proceed  as  soon  as  practicable  to  carry  out  the 
terms  of  transfer. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

J.  C.  Leonard, 
W.  B.  Duttera, 
W.  W.  Rowe. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  trustees  held  June  10,  1907,  the  executive 
committee  was  instructed  to  repair  the  buildings,  and  on  July 
22,  1907,  J.  M.  Shuford  was  instructed  to  look  after  the  work  that 
was  being  done  on  the  buildings.  A  new  kitchen  was  built,  a  new 
roof  put  on  the  front  porch,  the  rooms  recalcimined,  and  water 
and  sewer  connections  were  made.  At  another  meeting  held 
June  15,  1909,  a  motion  was  made  to  borrow  $1,500  for  the  pur- 
pose of  installing  a  heating  plant  and  repairing  the  college  build- 
ing. A  meeting  was  held  October  18,  the  amount  was  increased 
from  $1,500  to  $1,600.  This  loan  was  effected  and  the  work  was 
done.  During  the  summer  of  1914,  the  entire  wooden  part  of  the 
building  was  repainted  and  the  building  greatly  improved.  On 
Sunday  night,  March  19,  1916,  the  building  caught  on  fire  from 
defective  wiring,  and  the  chapel  was  greatly  damaged.  This, 
however,  was  covered  by  insurance  and  the  building  was  soon  re- 
paired and  greatly  improved.  The  indebtedness  of  the  college 
had  increased  to  nearly  $3,000,  and  the  trustees  had  no  money 
with  which  to  pay  this  amount.  It  was  agreed  to  sell  certain 
lots  on  the  west  side  of  the  campus.  Mr.  C.  C.  Bost,  who  was  in- 
trusted with  this  duty,  reported  to  a  meeting  of  the  executive 
committee  held  on  Aug.  22,  1913,  that  he  had  sold  three  lots.  Mr. 
Riddle  to  whom  one  lot  was  sold  refused  to  accept  his  deed  until 
the  title  was  tested.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Mr.  H.  W. 
Robinson  had  made  a  second  deed  to  the  trustees  dated  February 
1,  1881,  in  which  he  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  three  hundred 
and  nineteen  dollars  in  hand  paid,  $14.50  per  acre,  it  was  agreed 
to  have  a  friendly  suit  and  the  courts  upheld  the  title  of  the 
trustees. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  trustees  held  Jan.  5,  1909,  a  committee  con- 
sisting of  J.  L.  Murphy,  C.  C.  Bost,  and  A.  C.  Link  was  appointed 
to  have  the  charter  amended  in  such  a  way  as  to  place  the  school 
in  the  proper  relation  to  the  church,  according  to  the  terms  of 


Catawba  in  Relation  to  Claremont        205 

the  transfer,  and  an  amendment  was  made  by  the  legislature  of 
1909  and  is  as  follows: 

AN  ACT  TO  AMEND  THE  CHARTER  OP  CLAREMONT  COL- 
LEGE,  AT  HICKORY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.     1909. 

Whereas  on  the  28th  day  of  July,  1880,  J.  F.  Murrill,  A.  A. 
Shuford,  J.  G.  Hall  and  others  obtained  a  charter  from  the  Su- 
perior Court  of  Catawba  County  incorporating  an  institution  for 
the  promotion  of  religion,  morality  and  learning  therein,  named 
Claremont  Female  College,  and  have  maintained  a  school  and 
acquired  valuable  real  and  personal  property  at  Hickory,  North 
Carolina,  held  by  them  as  trustees  under  said  name;  and  where- 
as, in  the  promotion  of  the  objects  of  said  charter,  desire  to  place 
the  said  school  and  its  property  under  the  control  of  the  Classis 
of  North  Carolina,  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States,  and 
have  reached  a  satisfactory  agreement  with  said  Classis  to  that 
end,  and  desire  to  obtain  from  the  General  Assembly  of  N.  C. 
ratification  of  its  said  Charter,  with  certain  amends  thereto: 

THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  DO  ENACT: 

Sec.  1.  That  the  name  of  Claremont  Female  College,  at  Hick- 
ory, N.  C,  shall  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  changed  to  "Clare- 
mont College." 

Sec.  2.  That  articles  three  and  seven  of  the  original  charter  of 
Claremont  Female  College,  obtained  in  1880,  be  and  the  same  are 
hereby  stricken  out  and  the  following  inserted  in  lieu  thereof: 
"That  the  trustees  of  Claremont  College  shall  be  15  in  number, 
the  present  board  being  Rev.  J.  L.  Murphy,  D.  D.;  Rev.  J.  C. 
Leonard,  D.  D.;  A.  A.  Shuford,  Dr.  J.  C.  Clapp,  C.  C.  Bost,  L. 
A.  Carpenter,  F.  A.  Clinard,  H.  D.  Warlick,  E.  L.  Shuford,  C.  M. 
Shuford,  G.  H.  Geitner,  W.  H.  McNairy,  J.  E.  Wilfong,  J.  W. 
Robinson,  and  N.  M.  Seagle,  and  they  and  their  successors  in  of- 
fice shall  constitute  the  board  of  trustees  of  Claremont  College; 
that  said  trustees  above  named  shall  continue  in  office  until  the 
regular  annual  meeting  for  the  year  1909  of  the  Classis  of  N.  C, 
Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States,  and  at  which  time  said 
Classis  shall  elect  three  members  of  said  board  to  serve  for  one 
year,  three  to  serve  for  two  years  and  three  to  serve  for  three 
years,  and  annually  thereafter  three  members  for  a  term  of 
three  years;  and  the  board  of  trustees  of  said  college  shall  them- 
selves elect  six  of  their  own  successors  in  office,  beginning  with 
their  next  annual  meeting  in  such  way  that  the  term  of  office  of 
two  members  so  elected  by  them  shall  expire  annually:  Provided, 
that  in  the  event  the  said  Classis  of  North  Carolina,  Reformed 
church  in  the  United  States,  should  fail  for  two  years  to  maintain 
a  female  college,  as  provided  by  the  Charter  of  Claremont  Col- 


206  Catawba  College 

lege,  or  should  fail  to  carry  out  the  conditions  of  maintenance 
and  preservation  of  property  assumed  by  said  Classis,  then  such 
failure  shall  vacate  the  offices  of  the  nine  trustees  elected  by 
said  Classis,  and  they  are  hereby  declared  so  vacated,  and  Corinth 
Reformed  Church,  at  Hickory,  North  Carolina,  shall  have  full 
power  and  authority  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  congregation 
of  said  church  in  meeting  assembled  for  that  purpose,  to  elect 
nine  members  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Claremont  College  to 
take  place  of  those  whose  offices  are  vacated  by  this  act,  and 
thereafter  said  trustees  shall  be  elected  annually  by  said  church, 
as  hereinabove  provided  for  by  said  Classis;  and  they,  with  the 
other  members  of  said  board,  shall  take  possession  and  control 
of  all  real  and  personal  property  belonging  to  Claremont  College; 
and  either  the  Pastor,  the  Consistory  or  any  three  members  of 
said  Church  may  by  proper  notice  call  a  meeting  of  the  Con- 
gregation of  said  Corinth  Reformed  Church,  and  those  present 
at  said  meeting  shall  have  the  power  to  elect  nine  Trustees  un- 
der this  act. 

Sec.  3.  That  said  original  charter  of  said  College  is  in  all 
respects  wherein  the  same  is  not  inconsistent  herewith  recog- 
nized, ratified  and  confirmed. 

Sec.  4.  That  this  act  shall  be  in  force  from  and  after  its  rati- 
fication. 

Ratified  this  the  12th  day  of  February,  A.  D.,  1909. 

(The  President  of  the  Trustees  of  Claremont  College  in  his 
report  to  Classis  in  May,  1909,  said  "The  Charter  of  the  College 
was  amended  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Legislature  of  North 
Carolina,  and  your  instructions  were  followed  just  as  closely  as 
legal  advice  permitted  us  to  do  so.  I  suggest  that  the  charter, 
as  amended,  be  read  to  this  body.") 

In  the  fall  of  1909,  Rev.  J.  H.  Keller,  was  made  dean  of  the 
college,  with  Dr.  Murphy  as  president.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Keller 
placed  in  the  building,  new  furniture  which  was  his  property, 
and  the  trustees  borrowed  $1,600  to  put  in  steam  heat  and  make 
improvements. 

In  1908,  the  college  secured  as  the  teacher  of  music  Signor 
Severio  D'Anna,  who  gave  a  decided  impetus  to  the  musical  de- 
partment of  the  school,  and  brought  many  additional  students. 
Signor  D'Anna  resigned  in  1911.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Keller  remained 
until  the  end  of  the  spring  term  of  1912,  when  he  resigned  and 
accepted  the  pastorate  of  the  West  Rowan  charge.  Some  of 
the  teachers  during  this  period  were  Mrs.  Keller,  Miss  Sour- 
beer,  Miss  Hoffman,  Miss  Mary  Heller,  Miss  Mary  Barringer, 
Miss  Holtzendorff,  Mrs.  E.  B.  Menzies  and  iMiss  Ramsay.  It 
is  just  to  say  that  the  school  enjoyed  renewed  prosperity  during 


Catawba  in  Relation  to  Claremont        207 

these  years.  Prof.  D'Anna  was  succeeded  as  teacher  hy  Miss 
Mary  Ramsay.  Miss  Ramsay  was  followed  by  Mrs.  J.  H.  Hatcher. 
Dr.  Murphy  continued  as  president  from  that  time  until  the  close 
of  the  spring  term  1915,  when  the  Classis  suspended  the  school. 
Miss  Ramsay  was  principal  for  one  year,  Miss  Mary  Schnebley 
for  part  of  a  year.  This  year  was  completed  hy  Mrs.  Oliver  Nel- 
son, and  the  following  year  Miss  Mazie  C.  Schmidt  was  in  charge. 
The  last  three  years  were  most  successful  and  pleasant  in  many 
respects.  Mrs.  Hatcher  continued  as  teacher  of  music  until  the 
end  of  the  spring  term,  1916. 

Dr.  J.  M.  L.  Lyerly  had  charge  of  the  school  during  the  year 
1915-1916.  Associated  with  him  were  Miss  May  Lyerly,  Miss 
Helen  Troup,  Miss  Ethel  Peeler,  and  Miss  Josephine  Pritchard. 

During  the  year  1907,  a  new  kitchen  was  built,  part  of  the  build- 
ing was  renovated  and  all  the  rooms  recalcimined  and  put  in 
excellent  shape.  This  was  done  at  a  cost  of  more  than  $1,000, 
which  was  paid  in  full  by  the  late  A.  A.  Shuford.  In  the  year 
1908,  with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  C.  C.  Bost,  Mr.  Shuford  placed 
in  the  College  a  Chickering  grand  piano. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Classis  held  in  Waughtown,  May, 
1916,  no  action  was  taken  relative  to  the  future  of  Claremont 
College.  From  this  it  is  inferred  that  the  property  will  be  per- 
mitted to  revert  to  Corinth  Reformed  church,  Hickory,  according 
to  the  conditions  of  the  changed  charter.  This  is  not,  however, 
what  Corinth  congregation  desired.  The  representatives  of  this 
congregation  voted  for  the  Classis  to  retain  the  school.  In  jus- 
tice to  the  action  it  might  be  pointed  out  that  during  the  first 
ten  years  of  the  existence  of  the  school,  the  burden  of  the  sup- 
port of  the  school  was  shared  by  others,  but  for  the  last  26  years 
the  entire  burden  of  keeping  up  the  school  rested  solely  upon  the 
Corinth  congregation  of  Hickory.  The  action  of  the  Classis  de- 
fines the  educational  policy  of  the  Reformed  church  in  North 
Carolina.  It  is  co-educational.  Catawba  College  is  the  church 
school;  Claremont  College  is  no  longer  a  school  of  the  church  nor 
the  property  of  the  church.  There  are  those  who  believe  it  to  be 
a  mistaken  policy.  Claremont  College,  although  not  reaching 
the  ideal  set  by  its  founders,  has  done  a  great  work.  Its  ideals 
have  always  been  high.  The  girls  educated  here  are  found  in 
many  of  the  responsible  positions  of  life.  Two  if  not  more  are 
fcund  in  the  foreign  fields  doing  effective  work  as  missionaries  of 
Jesus  Christ.  The  teachers  have  been  among  the  best  and  the 
work  done  of  the  highest  order.  There  is  a  lingering  hope 
cherished  in  the  breasts  of  some  that  God  may  yet  raise  up 
friends  of  the  institution  who  will  bring  it  up  to  the  high  ideal 
set  by  the  founders.  But  the  Reformed  Church  has  lost  the  in- 
stitution. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Administration  of  President  Andrew. 

THE  REV.  JAMES  D.  ANDREW1  was  elected 
President  of  Catawba  College  in  1913,  succeed- 
ing President  Buchheit.  His  administration 
covered  a  period  of  five  years,  closing  with  Commence- 
ment in  May,  1918.  Throughout  his  administration  in 
the  College,  as  throughout  his  life,  President  Andrew 
proved  himself  a  good,  faithful  man.  He  was  always 
successful  in  his  pastorates,  but  in  the  college  found 
himself  in  such  a  difficult  position  that  no  man  would 
have  been  able  to  surmount  it  under  the  circumstances. 
On  account  of  the  lack  of  patronage  and  endowment, 
financial  difficulties  arose.     Hence  necessary  retrench- 


iJames  David  Andrew,  the  son  of  James  W.  and  Peny  Greeson 
Andrew,  was  born  on  September  27,  1864,  in  Guilford  County, 
North  Carolina.  He  attended  public  schools  until  twenty-one 
years  old  and  entered  Pleasant  Lodge  Academy  on  August  5,  1885. 
He  attended  Liberty  Academy  in  the  Spring  and  Fall  of  1886  and 
Fairview  Academy  in  the  Spring  of  1887.  The  latter  school  later 
became  Whitsett  Institute.  He  entered  the  preparatory  Depart- 
ment of  Catawba  College  on  February  4,  1888,  and  graduated 
in  1893.  He  served  as  Pastor  of  the  Guilford  Charge  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  from  1893  to  1898.  During  the  Summer  of  1898 
he  attended  the  Moody  Bible  Institute.  From  1898  to  19131  he 
served  as  Pastor  of  the  Burlington  Reformed  Church.  After  five 
years  as  President  of  Catawba  College,  he  accepted  a  call  in 
1918  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Upper  Davidson  Charge,  where  he 
served  to  the  end  of  1924.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  Pastor 
of  the  Faith  Charge.  He  was  married  to  Flora  Branson,  March 
14,  1894.  They  are  the  parents  of  ten  children,  of  whom  all  but 
one  are  living. 

(208) 


President  James  D.  Andrew. 


(209) 


/ 


The  Administration  of  President  Andrew    211 

ments  were  made,  which  scholastically  retarded  the 
progress  of  the  institution.  Efficient  teachers  could 
not  be  secured  and  no  outstanding  improvements  could 
be  made.  Some  of  the  most  loyal  friends  of  the  college 
sent  their  children  to  other  institutions,  where  they 
might  enjoy  a  standing  that  Catawba  was  losing. 
These  were  some  of  the  darkest  years  in  the  history 
of  the  College.  President  Andrew  must  be  given  cred- 
it for  doing  everything  reasonable  that  any  man  could, 
and  he  deserves  the  unlimited  gratitude  of  the  Church 
for  holding  the  institution  together,  maintaining  its 
charter,  and  operating  in  the  best  manner  possible  un- 
til such  time  as  Providence  should  again  open  the  way 
for  the  development  of  the  College  into  a  standard  in- 
stitution. 

President  Andrew  did  much  hard  work,  visiting 
churches  to  secure  subscriptions  and  homes  to  solicit 
students  for  the  college.  He  succeeded  in  enrolling  a 
rather  good-sized  body  of  students,  because,  as  has 
often  been  stated,  "everybody  knew  the  Rev.  Mr.  An- 
drew, and  he  was  popular  with  the  young  people."  As 
it  was  a  time  when  money  was  scarce,  President  An- 
drew received  many  "one  dollar"  subscriptions  for  the 
college.  Tuition  at  Catawba  during  his  administra- 
tion was  very  low  and  it  was  hard  for  the  college  to 
secure  the  funds  required  to  meet  current  expenses. 
The  property,  consequently,  could  not  be  kept  in  the 
best  repair.  It  should  be  stated,  however,  that  dur- 
ing his  administration  many  young  men  were  enrolled 
in  the  institution  as  students  for  the  ministry,  for 
President  Andrew  incessantly  urged  and  stressed 
studying  for  the  ministry,  and  he  insisted  on  the  high- 
est moral  standards  for  all  students. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Administration  of  President  Wolfing er. 

IT  WAS  ON  JANUARY  30,  1918,  that  Rev.  J.  G. 
Leonard,  D.  D.,  called  upon  the  pastor  of  the  First 
Reformed  Church  of  Greensboro,  North  Carolina, 
with  the  challenge  to  accept  the  presidency  of  Ca- 
tawba College.  The  interview  together  with  a  subse- 
quent study  of  the  situation  resulted  in  an  affirmative 
answer.  On  February  26,  the  Board  of  Trustees,  meet- 
ing at  Salisbury,  passed  a  unanimous  action  calling 
Rev.  A.  D.  Wolfinger,1  D.  D.,  to  the  presidency  of  the 


iThe  Rev.  A.  D.  Wolfinger,  D.  D.,  was  a  native  of  Bucks  County, 
Pennsylvania.  He  received  his  Collegiate  and  Theological  prepa- 
ration at  Ursinus  College  and  School  of  Theology  and  was  or- 
dained to  the  ministry  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  June,  1888.  He 
was  elected  pastor  of  the  Brownbach's  Charge,  Chester  County, 
in  1887,  entering  upon  its  pastorate  at  graduation  in  June,  1888. 
In  1890  he  was  called  to  the  Reformed  Church  at  Thornville, 
Ohio.  Five  years  later  he  accepted  a  call  from  the  Rockingham 
Charge,  Virginia,  returning  to  Ohio  in  1900.  In  the  Ohio  Synod 
he  served  several  churches,  and,  while  pastor  of  Trinity  Church, 
Dayton,  he  was  called  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Central 
Seminary  and  by  the  Directors  of  Ursinus  College  to  the  work 
of  Field  Secretary  of  the  Seminary,  and  later  of  Ursinus  College. 
He  moved  to  Philadelphia  in  May,  1910.  He  served  as  pastor 
of  Bethany  Tabernacle  Church,  and  in  1916  accepted  a  call  from 
the  First  Reformed  Church  of  Greensboro,  North  Carolina.  From 
here  he  was  called  to  the  presidency  of  Catawba  College,  and  he 
served  in  that  position  from  May,  1918,  to  September,  1923.  In 
December,  1923,  he  accepted  a  call  from  St.  Paul's  Reformed 
Church,  Youngstown,  Ohio.     He  served  on  the  Board  of  Trustees 

(212) 


The  Administration  of  President  Wolfinger  213 

college.  The  new  president  took  formal  charge  on  the 
day  following  the  closing  exercises  of  the  college  year. 
The  inauguration  took  place  on  May  8,  and  was 
largely  attended  by  friends  of  tne  institution  and  rep- 
resentatives of  the  Board  and  institutions  of  the 
Church.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees, held  the  day  preceding  the  inauguration,  the  pres- 
ident presented  an  outline  of  immediate  needs.  In  the 
survey  of  the  colleges  made  by  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of 
Education  in  1915  the  college  was  removed  from  the 
list  of  recognized  colleges.  The  institution  was 
dropped  from  the  publications  of  the  Bureau,  as  well 
as  from  the  State  Department  of  Education.  The 
country  was  in  the  midst  of  the  World  war,  with  its 
challenge  for  men  and  money.  That  a  real  crisis  in 
the  life  of  the  institution  was  pending  was  believed  by 
all  the  friends  of  the  college.  In  September,  1917,  Rev. 
J.  L.  Murphy,  D.  D.,  wrote  the  pastor  of  the  Greens- 
boro Church:  "I  am  in  sympathy  with  your  position 
relative  to  holding  fast  to  our  institution  of  learning, 
but  at  times  become  discouraged."  It  was  clear  that 
united  support  must  center  in  securing  adequate  funds 
for  endowment  and  equipment  and  in  such  a  reorgani- 
zation as  would  secure  for  the  college  a  place  on  the 
accredited  list.     The  church  under  whose  supervision 


of  Heidelberg  Theological  Seminary  and  later  Central  Seminary 
for  nine  years,  took  an  active  part  in  the  relocation  of  Heidel- 
berg Seminary,  and  acted  as  chairman  of  the  committee  on  build- 
ings and  grounds  during  the  relocation  of  the  seminary  at 
Dayton.  He  served  as  president  of  the  Lancaster  and  Miami 
Classes  and  in  1909  was  elected  president  of  the  Ohio  Synod. 
Ursinus  College  conferred  upon  him  the  title  of  Doctor  of  Divinity 
in  1909. 


214  Catawba  College 

the  college  operated  was  in  the  midst  of  a  denomina- 
tion-wide campaign  under  "the  Association  of  Schools, 
Colleges  and  Seminaries"  for  one  million  dollars. 
From  this  effort  the  college  was  to  receive  substantial 
help. 

As  an  emergency  action  to  relieve  temporarily  the 
financial  strain,  the  Board  adopted  the  plan  of  or- 
ganizing the  "Catawba  College  League"  with  a  mem- 
bership fee  of  ten  dollars.  This  plan  had  been  used 
by  other  institutions  with  success.  At  the  close  of 
the  first  year  three  hundred  and  fifty-six  members 
were  enrolled.  This  movement  helped  to  increase  the 
income,  so  that  the  total  for  the  first  year  reached  one 
hundred  per  cent  above  the  receipts  for  the  preceding 
year.  The  educational  value  of  this  effort,  carried  on 
for  four  years,  was  even  more  than  the  financial  re- 
turn. The  "million  dollar  campaign"  leaders  asked 
that  no  independent  financial  effort  be  made  during  the 
campaign.  The  Board,  however,  ventured  at  the  meet- 
ing in  May  to  request  that  fifty  thousand  dollars  be 
secured  from  the  friends  of  the  college.  Mr.  J.  T.  Hed- 
rick  must  be  credited  with  offering,  at  the  close  of  the 
inauguration  exercises,  the  first  five  thousand  dollars. 

In  March,  1919,  the  million  dollar  movement  sus- 
pended its  program.  The  failure  of  this  campaign  to 
give  any  help  to  the  college  created  a  sense  of  distrust, 
which  reacted  unfavorably  upon  the  local  program.  A 
meeting,  attended  by  the  heads  of  the  educational  in- 
stitutions, was  held  at  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  on  February 
14,  1919,  to  consider  a  determined  financial  effort  by 
the  denomination.  The  action  of  this  meeting  was  re- 
ported to  the  special  meeting  of  the  General  Synod  of 


lifll 


President  A.  D.  Wolfi.nger. 


(215) 


The  Administration  of  President  Wolfinger  217 

the  Reformed  Church  held  at  Altoona,  Pa.,  on  March 
14-16,  1919.  At  this  meeting  the  Synod  adopted  a  five- 
year  program  to  raise  $5,790,700  and  referred  the  en- 
tire matter  to  a  commission,  thus  creating  the  For- 
ward Movement.  At  a  meeting  held  in  Philadelphia, 
June  19,  1919,  attended  by  the  president  of  the  college, 
the  action  of  the  Synod  was  the  item  for  discussion. 
A  strong  effort  was  made  to  allot  Catawba  College 
$75,000  and  the  largest  colleges  $300,000.  Under  the 
protest  of  the  president  of  the  college,  to  whom  the 
effort  seemed  quite  unfair,  and  upon  calling  attention 
to  the  loyalty  and  sacrifice  of  the  people  in  the  South- 
land, the  conference  voted  $100,000  as  Catawba's 
share,  subject  to  the  action  of  the  commission. 

On  December  22,  1919,  the  chairman  of  the  survey 
committee  forwarded  the  following  to  the  college: 
"The  recommendation  of  the  committee  is  that  Ca- 
tawba College  be  conducted  as  a  Junior  College  and 
that  the  allotment  of  $100,000  be  held  in  trust  by  the 
church  for  education  work  within  the  bounds  of  Po- 
tomac Synod."  This  was  in  answer  to  the  survey 
questionaire  sent  in  by  the  college  with  the  request 
for  $280,000  as  the  minimum.  The  action  stirred  the 
entire  church  in  the  State.  One  of  the  veteran  pastors, 
Dr.  Leonard,  of  the  Classis  wrote,  "I  cannot  understand 
why  we  should  have  to  fight  constantly  for  our  rights 
in  North  Carolina.  Why  do  they  take  such  a  remark- 
able view  of  the  situation?"  Protests  came  from  all 
sections,  even  from  beyond  the  state.  No  greater  re- 
proach could  be  given  to  the  constituents  of  the  col- 
lege. At  a  meeting  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the 
Board,  December  26,  1919,  the  following  action  was 


218  Catawba  College 

passed:  "In  the  judgment  of  this  committee  such  ex- 
ceptional and  indefinite  action  upon  one  of  the  greatest 
needs  in  the  entire  church  in  the  South  will  paralyze 
any  effort  within  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina  to  proj- 
ect the  Forward  Movement  or  solicit  funds  for  the  gen- 
eral budget.  This  committee  is  of  the  conviction  that 
the  fund  of  $100,000  should  be  given  over,  as  in  the  case 
of  all  other  institutions,  to  the  Trustees  of  the  College." 
This  action  was  at  once  forwarded  to  the  survey  com- 
mittee. On  January  2,  1920,  the  president  of  the  col- 
lege and  Mr.  Clarence  Clapp  attended  a  meeting  in 
Philadelphia,  when  the  matter  in  question  was  to  be 
considered.  It  required  but  a  short  time  to  assure  the 
Body  that  such  action  forced  upon  the  people  of  North 
Carolina  would  be  a  lasting  injustice  and  a  phenome- 
nal missionary  blunder.  The  conference  adopted  the 
following  action :  "To  remove  the  restriction  of  the 
work  to  a  Junior  College  and  to  increase  the  appor- 
tionment from  $100,000  to  $125,000  the  fund  to  be 
held  by  the  Board  of  Trustees."  This  action  was  pub- 
lished and  gave  great  satisfaction  and  created  a  new 
interest.  On  January  23,  1920,  Dr.  W.  E.  Lampe  wrote 
the  president:  "The  Committee  fixed  the  Budget  in 
money  for  the  five-year  program  at  $10,847,425.  The 
amount  allotted  to  Catawba  College  is  $125,000."  The 
largest  institutions  were  to  have  $600,000. 

The  disparity  of  this  allotment  raised  a  vigorous 
protest.  It  was  a  historic  fact  that  the  college  stood 
foremost  in  her  contribution  to  the  work  of  the  church 
in  the  south,  and  of  all  the  institutions  was  in  greatest 
need.  The  disproportion  in  the  allotment  created  a 
sense  of  discouragement.     With  such  a  small  amount 


The  Administration  of  President  Wolfinger  219 

coming  to  the  college  in  five  years  and  with  a  restric- 
tion on  all  independent  financial  efforts,  friends  of 
the  institution  wanted  to  close  the  college  at  once.  At 
a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  on  March  4,  1920, 
a  leading  member  had  the  written  resolution  to  close 
the  college  ready  to  read.  It  was  a  serious  moment. 
No  rash  nor  headlong  plunging  with  the  old  college 
which  had  weathered  many  a  storm!  Keenly  feeling 
the  situation  and  with  undaunted  faith  in  the  people, 
the  president  proposed  the  following  resolution,  which 
was  unanimously  adopted :  "To  place  the  College  on 
an  accredited  basis,  and  to  maintain  the  institution  as 
such,  requires  $300,000  as  a  minimum  amount  for  en- 
dowment. The  Board  commits  itself  to  its  most  united 
effort  to  raise  this  amount  within  five  years,  the  same 
to  terminate  with  the  Forward  Movement  period. 
To  guarantee  the  full  amount  of  $300,000,  the  Board 
appoints  a  committee  who  shall  effect  such  organiza- 
tion as  will  carry  forward  a  campaign  to  secure  the 
needed  fund,  the  effort  to  follow  the  canvass  period  of 
the  Forward  Movement,  April,  1920." 

This  action  was  supported  by  the  entire  Classis,  and 
a  full  discussion  was  published  in  the  Reformed  Church 
Messenger.  The  result  was  that  it  created  a  new  in- 
terest as  expressed  by  messages  within  and  beyond 
the  State.  A  meeting  was  arranged  at  once  by  the  Ex- 
ecutive Secretary  of  the  Forward  Movement  Commis- 
sion to  be  held  at  Newton  on  March  22,  1920,  at  which 
Drs.  C.  E.  Schaeffer  and  E.  S.  Bromer  were  present. 
After  discussion  of  the  subject,  representatives  Schaef- 
fer and  Bromer  "proposed  the  amount  of  $200,000  to 
be  paid  the  college  out  of  the  'Type  B.  Fund'  which 


220  Catawba  College 

may  come  into  the  hands  of  the  Board  of  Home  Mis- 
sions from  the  Interchurch  World  Movement  Budget." 
This  was  good  news  and  would  cover  the  need  of  $325,- 
000.  Following  this  action,  the  Board  resolved,  "that 
we  call  upon  all  our  pastors,  consistories,  congrega- 
tions, and  our  entire  constituency  in  the  Classis  of 
North  Carolina  to  support  heartily  the  Forward  Move- 
ment in  its  entirety."  This  proposal  cleared  the  at- 
mosphere and  carried  the  Forward  Movement  "over 
the  top." 

Later  in  the  summer  of  1920,  the  Interchurch  World 
Movement  failed,  creating  another  feeling  of  disap- 
pointment among  all  the  people.  A  special  meeting  of 
the  North  Carolina  Classis  was  called  on  November 
26,  1920,  and,  after  reviewing  the  situation,  it  passed 
an  action  sending  J.  T.  Hedrick,  J.  W.  Peeler,  and  the 
president  of  the  college  to  a  meeting  to  be  held  in 
Philadelphia  on  December  10,  1920.  Great  hope  be- 
gan to  center  in  the  proposed  meeting.  This  was  soon 
shattered  when  messages  came  to  the  college  express- 
ing doubts  as  to  whether  the  appointed  representatives 
would  get  a  hearing  at  the  meeting.  One  writer  re- 
garded the  trip  "as  an  unnecessary  expenditure." 
Others  wrote:  "better  keep  your  hands  on  the  situa- 
tion," and  "be  sure  to  attend  and  have  your  other  men 
go."  On  December  4,  1920,  the  Executive  Secretary 
wrote :  "At  a  meeting  of  the  executive  staff  today,  it 
seemed  to  be  the  sense  of  those  present  that  we  ought 
not  to  interfere  in  the  proposed  action  of  the  represent- 
atives of  the  North  Carolina  Classis."  The  way  was 
now  clear  and  the  trio  from  North  Carolina  was  safe 
to  venture  on  the  way. 


The  Administration  of  President  Wolfinger  221 

The  college  really  seemed  worth  saving,  and  for  this 
the  representatives  from  the  South  stood  in  the  con- 
ference. Upon  motion  by  Dr.  E.  S.  Bromer,  the  fol- 
lowing action  was  passed :  "That  we  refer  the  matter 
to  the  executive  committee  to  confer  with  the  Board 
of  Home  Missions  to  have  them  assume  the  amount  of 
$200,000  for  Catawba  College.  It  is  the  judgment 
of  the  commission  that  the  amount  for  Catawba  Col- 
lege is  a  bona  fide  element  of  the  claims  in  the  causes  of 
the  Forward  Movement  of  the  Reformed  Church,  and 
the  commission  pledges  itself  to  provide  ways  and 
means  to  attain  the  ends  involved."  Upon  the  passage 
of  this  action,  Mr.  J.  T.  Hedrick  arose  and  offered 
$10,000  for  the  support  of  needy  students  at  Catawba 
College.  Amidst  a  roar  of  applause,  the  college  repre- 
sentatives made  ready  to  leave  for  the  South.  The 
action  of  the  commission  was  reported  at  the  meeting 
of  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  held  in  New  York, 
January  11,  1921.  The  meeting  was  attended  by  Rev. 
J.  C.  Leonard,  D.  D.,  a  member  of  the  Board,  and  the 
amount  of  $200,000  accepted.  Thus  ended  a  long  and 
disheartening  struggle  which  at  last  secured  the  ends 
originally  sought. 

The  Board  at  its  meeting  in  May,  1922,  realizing  that 
only  about  50  per  cent  of  the  $325,000  would  be  likely 
to  come  into  its  possession,  adopted  an  action  which 
proposed  raising  $150,000,  the  culmination  of  the  ef- 
fort to  be  observed  in  connection  with  the  seventy-fifth 
anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the  college.  This  ac- 
tion was  held  in  abeyance  until  the  meeting  of  the 
General  Synod  at  Hickory,  North  Carolina,  May  23, 
1923. 


222  Catawba  College 

The  Classis  of  North  Carolina  now  saw  the  necessity 
of  a  radical  change  of  program,  occasioned  by  the  re- 
quirement of  the  Southern  Association  of  Colleges  and 
Secondary  Schools  and  the  North  Carolina  State  De- 
partment of  Education.  The  report  of  the  Trustees  of 
the  college  through  their  President,  Charles  M.  Rowe, 
to  the  Classis  in  annual  session  in  Charlotte,  May, 
1923,  was  clear  and  concise  and  marked  out  the  only 
course  to  be  followed.     We  give  it  herewith : 

"The  question  still  confronting  the  institution  is  a 
financial  one.  The  committee  authorized  by  the  Board 
to  place  a  man  in  the  field,  who  should  give  all  his 
time  to  the  financial  needs  of  the  college,  met  with  in- 
surmountable difficulties.  The  best  substitute  that 
could  be  agreed  upon  was  the  calling  into  service  of 
ten  men  of  the  Classis  who  would  assume  responsibil- 
ity so  far  as  they  were  able  to  secure  pledges  for  the 
current  expenses  of  the  year.  Up  to  this  time  less 
than  $1,000  has  come  in  from  this  source.  There  is, 
accordingly,  a  deficit  in  the  current  expense  fund.  The 
Forward  Movement  receipts  to  date  are  $45,000.  This 
already  helps  to  relieve  the  situation,  but  is  only  a 
small  part  of  what  the  life  of  the  institution  demands. 
It  is  clear  to  every  close  observer  that  immediate  re- 
sponse is  needed  to  some  plan  which  will  guarantee  suf- 
ficient endowment  to  continue  the  work  in  a  larger  way. 
As  President  of  the  Board,  I  wish  to  express  the  hope 
that  united  response  may  be  given  to  such  a  plan  as  will 
guarantee  the  life  of  the  College  on  the  list  of  standard 
Colleges.  The  work  of  the  year  has  been  carried  for- 
ward as  successfully  and  satisfactorily  as  could  be  ex- 
pected under  the  limitation  of  equipment  and  finan- 


(223) 


The  Administration  of  President  Wolfinger  225 

cial  resources."  The  action  of  Classis  was  the  follow- 
ing1: On  the  basis  of  facts  made  in  the  report  of  the 
Board  as  well  as  oral  statements  made  by  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  College  on  the  floor  of  Classis,  we  make 
the  following  recommendations  for  your  considera- 
tion: 

1.  Realizing  that  an  "A"  grade  College  will  only 
meet  our  requirements,  we  therefore  do  instruct  the 
Board  of  Trustees  to  proceed  to  lay  such  plans  that 
Catawba  College  shall  be  made  to  comply  with  the  con- 
ditions of  a  Standard  "A"  grade  College. 

Resolved,  That  the  Trustees  be  requested  to  chal- 
lenge the  General  Synod  to  convene  in  Corinth  Church, 
Hickory,  N.  C,  May  23,  to  take  over  Catawba  College 
as  a  Missionary  Institution. 

2.  That  opportunity  be  given  to  any  town  or  city 
to  make  a  proposition  or  propositions  as  to  the  loca- 
tion of  said  College. 

The  Board  of  Trustees,  May  22,  1923,  adopted  the 
action  of  the  Classis  and  designated  a  minimum  amount 
of  $300,000  for  endowment,  overturing  the  General 
Synod  for  support.  A  historic  event  took  place  when 
the  Synod,  upon  invitation  of  the  president  of  the 
college,  visited  in  a  body  the  college  at  Newton.  Aft- 
er a  number  of  addresses  in  the  chapel,  Synod  re- 
turned to  Hickory,  and  the  next  day  endorsed  the  over- 
ture of  the  Board  and  recommended  that  the  sum  of 
$400,000  be  raised  for  the  institution. 

The  question  of  the  removal  of  the  college  from  New- 
ton was  frequently  discussed  through  the  years.  It 
was  one  of  the  first  topics  which  came  to  the  atten- 
tion of  anyone,  whenever  appeals  were  made  for  sup- 


226  Catawba  College 

port.  The  uncertainty  of  the  permanent  location  pre- 
vented many  people  from  making  investments  in  the 
old  plant.  The  Trustees,  learning  of  the  military 
school  building  at  Salisbury  being  for  sale,  met  on 
June  5,  1923,  and  at  that  meeting  appointed  a  commit- 
tee to  negotiate  the  purchase,  and  also  passed  an  ac- 
tion removing  the  college  from  Newton. 

The  president  was  instructed  to  open  the  col- 
lege at  Newton  in  September,  1923,  to  secure  a  full 
faculty,  and  to  conduct  the  school  there  for  the  year. 
Mr.  W.  R.  Weaver  was  elected  Dean  to  act  during  the 
absence  of  the  president  while  on  the  financial  cam- 
paign. The  declination  of  Mr.  Weaver  placed  the  fi- 
nancial responsibility,  as  well  as  the  administrative 
work  of  the  college,  upon  the  president.  The  removal 
having  been  finally  settled  upon,  successful  work  at 
the  old  location  was  made  impossible.  On  June  25th, 
the  president  of  the  college  tendered  his  resignation  to 
take  effect  August  31,  1923.  This  was  accepted  and 
a  committee  appointed  to  draft  suitable  resolutions. 
On  the  question  of  closing  the  college  following  the 
declination  of  Mr.  Weaver  and  the  resignation  of  the. 
President,  the  latter  made  the  closing  speech  on  the  af- 
firmative. Nothing  else  was  now  to  be  done.  Many 
people  throughout  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina  firmly 
believed  in  the  possibility  of  creating  the  much-needed 
institution.  With  the  question  of  location  settled,  a 
new  day  was  coming  and  the  closing  of  the  college 
during  the  interim  of  relocating  and  reorganization 
seemed  a  necessity. 

Of  the  graduates  during  the  period,  seven  have  en- 
tered the   Ministry  of  the   Reformed   Church   and   a 


The  Administration  of  President  Wolfinger  227 

greater  number  are  in  the  teaching  profession.  One 
thousand  students  were  enrolled  in  all  departments, 
financed  by  an  annual  budget  of  $27,000.  The  schol- 
arships provided  by  Mr.  J.  T.  Hedrick  assisted  a  large 
number  of  students.  Through  the  interest  of  Mrs. 
George  P.  Mariner  of  Philadelphia,  a  library  endow- 
ment fund  was  started  with  $1500,  the  income  from 
which  was  devoted  to  additions  to  the  library. 

The  question  of  academic  standing  was  of  equal 
importance  with  that  of  adequate  financial  resources. 
The  effort  begun  in  1915-16  to  standardize  the  educa- 
tional institutions  of  the  state  found  the  college  lack- 
ing. During  the  summer  of  1918,  the  library  was  cat- 
alogued and  placed  in  a  working  condition;  extensive 
repairs  were  made  to  the  buildings ;  system  and  classi- 
fication were  introduced  into  the  admission  of  stu- 
dents; new  courses  of  instruction  were  added  and  an 
enlarged  faculty  secured.  Everything  looking  toward 
academic  recognition  was  done  that  was  possible  un- 
der the  conditions.  Toward  the  close  of  the  summer, 
the  college  was  confronted  with  the  question  of  estab- 
lishing an  S.  A.  T.  C.  Unit.  Unless  this  could  be  done, 
the  college  should  have  to  close  for  lack  of  students. 
Early  in  August,  application  was  made  for  a  unit. 
Communications  from  the  Bureau  of  Education  and 
the  State  University  came  in  denying  a  unit  on  the 
basis  of  having  no  standing.  On  August  31,  1918,  the 
president  of  the  college  called  upon  President  Graham 
of  the  University,  who  was  the  regional  Director  of 
the  S.  A.  T.  C.  units.  The  supplement  to  the  catalogue 
containing  the  courses,  faculty,  standards  of  admis- 
sion, and  policy  of  the  administration  was  presented. 


228  Catawba  College 

* 
The  young  but  keen-eyed  auditor  listened  while  ask- 
ing- a  question  now  and  then.  The  fate  of  the  college 
seemed  to  hang  upon  his  decision.  He  communicated 
with  Washington  by  long  distance  and  later  wired  the 
president  of  the  college  as  follows:  "Find  on  investi- 
gation that  I  wired  sometime  ago  Catawba  College  does 
not  satisfy  academic  requirements  for  S.  A.  T.  C. 
I  am  wiring  MacLaurin  tonight  that  Catawba  does 
satisfy  requirements."  The  news  was  hailed  with 
great  rejoicing,  and  everybody  seemed  to  be  on  the 
search  for  students.  On  September  30,  a  wire  was  re- 
ceived notifying  the  college  that  since  it  had  less 
than  one  hundred  students  "it  was  unadvisable  to  es- 
establish  a  unit."  On  October  2,  the  president  went 
to  Washington  to  confer  with  Congressman  Webb,  who 
passed  him  on  to  the  Department  of  Education  where 
a  record  of  the  condition  of  the  college  was  made.  A 
message  followed  the  president  back  to  the  college  say- 
ing "that  there  were  not  enough  men  to  organize  a 
unit,"  and  a  letter  expressing  astonishment  at  our  ex- 
pecting the  Government  to  make  an  exception  for  Ca- 
tawba College.  One  more  appeal  was  made  to  Presi- 
dent Graham  of  the  State  University  on  October  7. 
After  listening  under  high  nervous  tension,  he  said, 
"I  will  do  my  best  with  Washington  for  your  College." 
On  October  9,  a  message  came  to  the  college  author- 
izing a  unit  on  the  basis  of  fifty.  Everyone  about  the 
college  breathed  easily  now,  since  the  way  was  open 
to  line  up  with  other  institutions  of  the  country  in 
the  great  World  War.  This  interview  by  the  president 
of  the  college  and  the  message  authorizing  an  S.  A.  T. 
C.  was  one  of  the  last  acts  of  President  Graham,  his 


The  Administration  of  President  Wolfinger  229 

early  death  occurring  shortly  after.  A  unit  of  sixty 
men  was  formed  with  First  Lieutenant  J.  C.  Gilmore 
of  Philadelphia  in  charge.  He  was  a  fine  Christian 
gentleman,  and  gave  all  support  and  sympathy  to  the 
work  of  caring  for  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  stu- 
dents in  the  crowded  quarters  of  the  college  building. 
On  November  11  came  a  relief.  No  one  in  official  or 
professional  relations  would  want  to  pass  through  an- 
other such  experience.  After  one  more  trip  to  Raleigh, 
November  13,  the  college  received  from  the  govern- 
ment for  its  service  the  sum  of  $5,014.82.  The  recog- 
nition of  the  college  in  its  new  outlook  placed  it  in  the 
confidence  of  newly  made  friends. 

The  next  effort  was  directed  toward  reorganizing  the 
Preparatory  Department  on  the  basis  of  a  standard 
high  school.  This  being  done,  the  State  Department 
of  Education  placed  the  academy  on  the  accredited  list 
of  high  schools  in  1919.  Students  who  completed  the 
four-year  course  were  admitted  into  the  Colleges  and 
University  without  examination.  This  was  a  long  step 
in  advance. 

The  raising  of  the  College  Standard  proceeded 
slowly  owing  to  financial  limitations  and  inadequate 
equipment.  Graduates  of  the  college  were  credited 
with  three  years  of  college  work  by  some  of  the  best 
colleges  of  the  state.  In  June,  1922,  the  examiner  at 
one  of  the  leading  colleges  wrote,  ''As  for  your  work, 
please  let  me  say  that  we  shall  be  glad  to  accept  it 
at  par.  We  have  no  doubt  that  it  is  as  good  as  that 
done  at  any  other  college  in  North  Carolina."  In 
September,  1922,  such  progress  had  been  made  in  the 
work  of  the  institution  that,  after  a  rigid  investiga- 


230  Catawba  College 

tion  by  the  State,  the  committee  wrote,  "With  the  in- 
crease in  the  number  of  the  faculty  since  our  last  vis- 
it, and  the  improvement  in  the  training  of  the  fac- 
ulty, we  suggest  that  perhaps  a  'B'  rating,  beginning 
with  the  graduates  of  1923,  might  be  allowed."  This 
meant  credit  for  three  years  of  college  work,  or  two 
years  more  than  the  college  had  in  1918.  That  the  col- 
lege always  did  and  was  now  preparing  students  on 
a  par  with  other  colleges  was  recognized  by  men  of 
other  institutions.  Theoretically,  however,  the  points 
which  made  up  the  standards  of  college  measurement 
were  lacking  when  the  test  was  applied  in  1915. 

Under  all  the  unusual  difficulties  arising  during  the 
administration  there  was  a  growing  faith  in  a  new 
day  for  the  college.  The  work  of  greatest  value,  per- 
haps, in  this  five-year  period  was  that  of  general  edu- 
cation throughout  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina.  The 
President  visited  every  church  each  year  with  an  ap- 
peal and  a  challenge  to  every  meeting  of  Classis  and 
Synod  on  behalf  of  the  College.  Articles  constantly  ap- 
peared in  the  literature  of  the  church.  The  confidence 
and  support  of  the  constituency  of  the  college  could 
hardly  have  been  greater.  With  abiding  faith,  the 
last  president  of  the  college  on  the  historic  spot  at 
Newton  ever  looked  forward  to  a  better  day  for  the 
institution. 


W 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Relocation  At  Salisbury. 

"HILE  THE  COLLEGE  was  experiencing  dif- 
ficulties at  Newton,  owing  to  lack  of  equip- 
ment, suitable  plant,  and  endowment,  Rev. 
C.  C.  Wagoner,  Pastor  of  the  First  Reformed  Church 
of  Salisbury,  made  repeated  suggestions  to  members 
of  the  Classis  and  to  the  Trustees  of  the  College  that 
the  college  be  relocated  at  Salisbury.  Since  this  sug- 
gestion ultimately  led  to  the  relocation  of  the  institu- 
tion, it  may  be  well  to  give  an  account  of  the  history 
of  the  property  bought  there  for  the  new  college. 

History  of  the  Administration  Building. 

Mr.  A.  S.  Ford,  who  had  been  superintendent  of 
some  normal  school  in  the  State  of  Alabama,  came  to 
Salisbury  in  the  fall  of  1913.  He  gave  Montgomery 
and  Birmingham  as  his  address.  Working  through 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  he  conceived  a  plan  for 
operating  a  boys'  military  school  at  Salisbury.  A  lo- 
cal realty  company  donated  the  land,  forty  acres  or 
more,  estimated  to  be  worth  at  the  time  about  four 
thousand  dollars.  In  addition,  $53,517.90  was  collected 
and  expended  for  materials  and  labor.  The  campaign 
was  made  for  this  fund  in  April,  1914.  Mr.  Ford  said 
he  could  get  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  a  certain 
town  in  Alabama  provided  Salisbury  would  raise  so 
much.     The  late  Dr.   Whitehead  was  enthusiastic  to 

(231) 


232  Catawba  College 

such  an  extent  that  he  signed  his  personal  note  for 
thirty  thousand  dollars,  contingent  upon  the  raising 
of  a  similar  sum  in  Alabama.  Mr.  Ford  went  to  Ala- 
bama and  did  not  come  back  for  some  time.  Finally 
he  was  compelled  to  give  up  the  note,  and  left  town. 

By  this  time  the  walls  of  the  building  were  rising. 
Building  operations  were  suspended,  and  a  local  com- 
mittee which  had  been  handling  the  project  threw  it 
into  the  hands  of  a  receiver.  Mr.  N.  W.  Collett  was 
made  receiver  for  A.  S.  Ford  in  October,  1914.  The 
Receiver  issued  certificates  to  cover  the  indebtedness 
for  materials  and  labor,  and  was  authorized  by  the 
Court  to  execute  deed  for  £he  property  to  the  Salis- 
bury Normal  and  Industrial  Institute,  a  new  institu- 
tion for  girls  which  was  about  to  be  established  in 
Salisbury.     This  deed  was  executed  May  1,  1917. 

The  Trustees  of  the  new  institution  were  Dr.  Byron 
Clark,  President,  W.  F.  Snyder,  George  R.  Collins,  Dr. 
John  Whitehead,  and  H.  A.  Rouzer,  Secretary.  This 
Board  of  Directors  brought  to  Salisbury  Rev.  George 
H.  Atkinson,  who  had  been  running  a  normal  and  in- 
dustrial institute  for  girls  at  Albemarle.  The  new  in- 
stitution then  made  an  issue  of  bonds  and  thereby 
borrowed  sufficient  money  to  pay  off  the  receiver's  cer- 
tificates. 

The  Institute  conducted  its  work  in  buildings  con- 
nected with  the  extensive  Presbyterian  Church  prop- 
erties in  Salisbury,  and  never  got  into  the  new  build- 
ing, which  was  called  "Faith  Hall."  The  institution 
gathered  considerable  equipment  by  donation  and  pur- 
chase. The  Rev.  Mr.  Atkinson  operated  a  success- 
ful school,  and  turned  out  some  very  fine  students.  At 


« 


(233) 


Relocation  at  Salisbury  235 

the  same  time  he  travelled  extensively  in  the  effort  to 
raise  funds,  and  it  is  estimated  that  he  actually  secured 
around  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  This  money 
was  expended  mainly  for  materials  and  labor  need- 
ed to  carry  forward  the  construction  of  "Faith  Hall." 
Those  who  were  connected  with  the  entire  history  of 
this  property  estimate  that  approximately  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  thousand  dollars  were  actually  expend- 
ed upon  it.  A  second  fund  of  twenty-five  or  thirty 
thousand  dollars  was  later  raised  in  Salisbury  for  the 
Institute. 

The  Salisbury  Normal  and  Industrial  Institute  car- 
ried on  for  five  years.  It  had  as  many  as  one  hundred 
and  ten  students,  half  of  whom  were  day  students,  and 
as  many  as  a  dozen  teachers.  The  students  were  for 
the  most  part  girls  of  very  poor  circumstances.  The 
type  of  work  was  largely  of  a  practical  sort,  such  as 
home  economics,  music  and  art,  in  addition  to  the 
standard  high  school  work.  Repeated  disappoint- 
ments and  financial  difficulties  led  the  Directors  to  give 
up  the  work. 

After  the  Rev.  Mr.  Atkinson  left,  the  Directors 
brought  in  from  Ohio  Dr.  L.  S.  Fulmer,  who  was  elect- 
ed on  July  24,  1922.  He  attempted  to  raise  the  money 
needed,  but  without  success,  and  after  about  six  months 
the  project  was  abandoned. 

Following  the  suggestions  of  Rev.  C.  C.  Wagoner 
about  this  time,  Mr.  J.  T.  Hedrick,  a  Trustee  of  Ca- 
tawba College,  and  Mr.  H.  A.  Rouzer,  Secretary  of 
the  Directors  of  the  Institute,  informally  discussed  the 
possibility  of  relocating  Catawba  College  on  this  prop- 
erty.   The  Rev.  Mr.  Wagoner  was  intensely  interested 


236  Catawba  College 

and  called  upon  members  of  the  Classis  to  interview 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Clark  and  others  about  the  property.  A 
Committee  consisting  of  Rev.  W.  C.  Lyerly,  Rev.  Shu- 
ford  Peeler,  Rev.  J.  A.  Palmer,  and  Elders  J.  W.  Peeler, 
L.  A.  Corriher  and  J.  P.  Linn  and  others,  made  a  num- 
ber of  trips  to  Salisbury  and  had  interviews  with  Dr. 
Clark,  Mr.  Rouzer,  and  other  members  of  the  Board 
of  Directors.  Finally,  it  happened  that  the  General 
Synod  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States 
was  to  meet  in  Hickory  in  May,  1923.  On  their  way 
to  Hickory  about  two  hundred  members  of  the  Synod 
stopped  at  Salisbury  and  were  entertained  at  dinner 
by  the  Reformed  Church  of  Salisbury.  This  delega- 
tion visited  the  property  and  became  very  enthusiastic. 
The  potentialities  of  the  splendid  administration  build- 
ing did  as  much  as  anything  else  to  create  a  new  spirit 
of  optimism,  which  was  carried  throughout  the  whole 
Church. 

On  May  21,  1923,  a  proposition  was  formally  made 
by  the  Directors  of  the  Institute  to  the  Trustees  of  the 
College.  The  Trustees  of  Catawba  College  requested 
an  extension  of  time  till  June  5,  1923.  In  June,  1923, 
after  some  plans  had  already  been  made  to  continue 
the  college  at  Newton,  an  all-day  meeting  of  the  Clas- 
sis was  held  at  Salisbury.  At  this  time,  on  account  of 
the  large  deficit,  it  was  decided  that  the  school  could 
not  reopen.  Shortly  thereafter  a  meeting  of  the  Trus- 
tees was  held  in  connection  with  members  of  the  Clas- 
sis, in  the  First  Church,  to  consider  the  purchase  of 
the  school  property.  Rev.  Dr.  C.  E.  Schaeffer,  Rev.  Dr. 
C.  B.  Schneder  and  Rev.  J.  C.  Leonard,  D.  D.,  as  the 
representatives  of  the  Board  of  Home  Missions,  were 


Relocation  at  Salisbury  237 

asked  to  be  present.  From  the  standpoint  of  the 
Board  of  Home  Missions,  these  representatives  felt 
that  the  property  should  be  purchased,  and  they 
promised  the  support  of  the  Board.  A  motion  to 
buy  the  property  was  carried  and  a  Committee  con- 
sisting of  Revs.  Shuford  Peeler,  J.  H.  Keller,  and 
J.  P.  Linn  was  appointed  to  handle  the  matter  rel- 
ative to  the  transfer  of  the  property.  The  property 
consisting  of  43  acres,  the  large  administration  build- 
ing, many  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  furniture  and 
equipment,  was  purchased  for  about  $44,000. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Salis- 
bury Normal  and  Industrial  Institute,  held  in  the  office 
of  the  Secretary  on  the  1st  day  of  October,  1923,  the 
following  resolution  was  offered  and  unanimously 
adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  Catawba  College  take  over  the  en- 
tire properties,  both  real  and  personal,  of  the  Salis- 
bury Normal  and  Industrial  Institute,  and  assume  all 
liabilities  against  the  Salisbury  Normal  and  Indus- 
trial Institute,  including  all  notes  or  other  accounts,  or 
claims  or  liabilities  outstanding  against  the  party  of 
the  first  part,  or  which  may  arise  and  be  established  in 
the  future. 

"It  is  further  resolved  that  a  proper  deed  of  convey- 
ance to  carry  into  effect  this  resolution  be  prepared  and 
executed  by  Byron  Clark,  President,  and  H.  A.  Rouzer, 
Secretary,  and  that  said  deed  thereupon  be  delivered 
to  said  Catawba  College." 

(Signed)     Byron  Clark, 

President  of  the  Board. 
(Signed)     H.  A.  Rouzer, 
Secy. 


238  Catawba  College 

Other  denominations  were  seeking  this  valuable 
property  for  their  educational  work,  but  Dr.  Clark  and 
others  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  which  controlled 
the  property,  felt  that  the  sister  denomination,  the  Re- 
formed Church,  as  next  of  kin,  should  have  the  first 
chance. 

After  some  time  had  elapsed  a  Committee  consisting 
of  Rev.  Shuford  Peeler  and  Dr.  H.  E.  Rowe  accom- 
plished the  removal  of  all  the  furniture  and  equipment 
of  the  old  College  to  the  new  building.  The  chapel 
seats  were  sold  to  the  Nazareth  Orphans'  Home,  since 
pews  for  the  new  auditorium  were  already  in  the 
building  at  Salisbury. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Dawning  of  a  Netv  Day  for  Catatvba  College. 

THE    TRUSTEES    OF  THE  COLLEGE  laid  the 
following  overture  before  General  Synod  at  its 
triennial  sessions    in    Hickory,    North    Carolina, 
in  May,  1923 : 

To  the  Reverend  General  Synod  of  the  Reformed 
Church : 

Dear  Fathers  and  Brethren: — The  Trustees  of  Ca- 
tawba College,  located  at  Newton,  North  Carolina,  re- 
spectfully request  your  Reverend  Body  to  consider  the 
following  memorial : 

At  its  last  annual  meeting  in  Charlotte  the  Classis 
of  North  Carolina,  the  owner  and  foster  patron  of  Ca- 
tawba College,  the  institution  of  the  Reformed  Church 
in  the  South,  instructed  the  Board  of  Trustees  to  in- 
augurate plans  to  raise  this  institution  to  a  "Stand- 
ard 'A'  College,"  and  also  to  challenge  the  General 
Synod,  convening  in  Corinth  Reformed  Church,  Hick- 
ory, May  23,  to  take  over  Catawba  College  as  a  Mis- 
sionary Educational  Institution. 

The  Trustees  at  their  annual  meeting  in  May  care- 
fully went  over  the  situation.  It  is  our  conviction  that 
the  time  has  come  for  us  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
an  "A"  grade  college.  A  Junior  College  will  not  meet 
the  needs  and  demands  of  our  Reformed  people  in 
North  Carolina.     We  cannot  hope  to  hold  our  young 

(239) 


240  Catawba  College 

people  in  Catawba  College  unless  we  offer  them  ad- 
vantages which  will  assure  them  of  the  same  standing 
and  rating  with  the  graduates  of  other  colleges.  This 
will  require  an  annual  income  of  $50,000,  at  least 
half  of  which  must  be  from  endowment  sources;  a  li- 
brary of  8,000  volumes;  separate  building  and  faculty 
for  an  academy  if  run  in  connection  with  the  college; 
eight  heads  of  departments;  100  college  students.  We 
believe  that  the  record  of  service  of  Catawba  College 
is  such  as  to  have  won  the  good-will  of  the  people  of 
the  whole  denomination.  We  occupy  the  extreme 
Southern  border  of  the  Reformed  Church.  Naturally, 
our  losses  in  members  and  ministers  are  very  heavy. 
But  at  the  same  time  we  are  giving  many  strong 
preachers  to  other  sections  of  our  Church  and  numer- 
ous valuable  members  to  other  churches  of  our  own 
and  other  denominations.  Our  ancestors  believed,  and 
their  sons  and  daughters  believe,  that  the  college  is 
essential  to  the  existence  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
the  South.  We  have  certainly  been  dependent  upon 
the  college  for  a  supply  of  ministers.  Under  the  old 
system  of  sending  our  students  North  we  gave  the 
church  11  ministers.  Then  while  the  school  did  only 
High  School  and  Junior  College  work,  we  gave  to  the 
denomination  16  preachers.  And  since  we  have  been 
graduating  students  through  the  last  34  years,  we 
have  sent  out  to  the  Reformed  Church  ministry  38 
young  men,  a  total  of  65  Gospel  preachers.  Besides, 
we  have  graduated  many  ministers  for  other  denomi- 
nations. It  would  be  a  distinct  calamity  to  the  State, 
to  the  nation,  and  particularly  to  the  Reformed  Church 
to  close  the  doors  of  Catawba  College. 


Dawning  of  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College  241 

Here  is  a  college  which  has  paid  large  dividends  in 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  and  in  other  educated  young 
men  and  women,  trained  well  for  service  in  the  world. 
Here  is  a  college  which  has  served  the  denomination 
well  in  its  capacity  as  a  missionary  institution  through 
long  years  without  official  recognition. 

Resolved  that  we,  the  Trustees  of  Catawba  College, 
hereby  earnestly  and  affectionately  overture  the  Gen- 
eral Synod  to  take  such  action  as  will  preserve  Cataw- 
ba College  to  the  Reformed  Church,  either  through  its 
"Educational  Commission,"  or  its  "Board  of  Christian 
Education,"  or  through  such  other  means  or  agencies 
as  the  General  Synod  may  devise  or  adopt. 

At  the  opening  session  of  the  said  General  Synod, 
Rev.  J.  C.  Leonard,  D.  D.,  an  alumnus  of  Catawba 
College  of  the  class  of  1889,  was  elected  President  of 
this  highest  judicatory  of  the  Reformed  Church.  In 
response  to  the  overture  of  the  Trustees  of  the  College 
the  General  Synod  took  the  following  action : 

"To  the  Reverend  General  Synod : 

Dear  Brethren :  Your  Committee  on  the  Overture 
from  the  North  Carolina  Classis  with  reference  to  Ca- 
tawba College  presents  the  following  report: 

At  our  meeting  we  invited  the  President  of  the  Col- 
lege, Rev.  Dr.  A.  D.  Wolfinger,  members  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees,  pastors  of  the  Classis,  to  be  present  and 
to  give  us  in  verbal  form  the  facts  concerning  this 
educational   institution. 

From  what  these  brethren  told  us,  and  from  the 
reading  of  the  overture,  we  learned  the  following : 

1.     Catawba   College   has   been   in   existence  for 
72  years.    In  that  period  it  has  sent  65  men  into  the 


242  Catawba  College 

ministry  of  the  Reformed  Church.  If  this  institu- 
tion had  done  nothing  else  in  its  history  than  just 
that,  it  would  amply  have  repaid  those  who  gave  to 
it  their  time,  their  thought,  and  their  money.  Large, 
indeed,  are  such  dividends ;  but  it  has  likewise  grad- 
uated a  number  of  young  men  who  have  gone  into 
the  ministry  of  other  denominations.  It  has  also 
educated  young  men  for  other  professions, — lawyers, 
doctors;  young  women,  who  have  gone  back  into 
the  churches  where  they  are  the  leaders  in  every 
movement  for  the  enlargement  of  the  Kingdom. 

2.  That  which  saddened  the  hearts  of  your  com- 
mittee was  to  learn  of  the  critical  condition  of  the 
college.  In  plain  words  we  are  told  that  unless  two 
things  are  done  the  doors  of  the  institution  will  not 
be  opened  this  fall.    These  two  things  are : 

(a)  According  to  the  educational  standards  of 
this  State,  Catawba  is  now  a  Junior  College.  This 
is  to  be  changed  in  such  a  way  that  it  will  be  made 
a  college  of  the  Grade  'A'  standard.  This  is  an 
unqualified  demand  on  the  part  of  the  patrons  of 
the  college.  Otherwise,  they  will  not  further  sup- 
port it  financially,  nor  will  parents  continue  to 
send  their  children  to  it. 

(b)  To  do  this  requires  a  large  amount  of 
money,  and  this  the  college  does  not  have.  Help, 
large  help,  must  be  given  by  the  whole  Reformed 
Church.  It  should  have  at  least  $350,000,  if  not 
$400,000.  North  Carolina  cannot  raise  this  amount 
alone,  but  its  friends  assure  the  committee  that 
it  could  raise  possibly  half  of  this  amount.  Unless, 


Main  Entrance — Administration  Building. 


(243) 


Dawning  of  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College  245 

in  this  emergency,  this  absolute  financial  aid  is 
given,  there  is  no  hope  of  saving  the  institution. 

(c)  To  permit  this  college  to  die  is  unthink- 
able. The  continuance  of  this  college  is  an  abso- 
lute necessity,  if  we  are  to  continue  our  work  in 
the  South,  and  thus  assist  in  preempting  this  rap- 
idly developing  and  most  promising  section  of  our 
country  for  Christ.  What  the  college  has  done  is 
an  indication  as  to  what  it  will  do  as  a  Home  Mis- 
sionary center. 
In  view  of  these  facts  your  committee  would  submit 
the  following  for  your  consideration  and  action : 

(1)  Synod  endorses  the  desire  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees,  the  Faculty,  and  the  friends  of  the 
institution  to  change  the  standing  of  the  col- 
lege from  that  of  a  Junior  College  to  that  of 
a  Grade  'A'  College. 

(2)  Synod  pledges  its  moral  and  financial 
support  to  Catawba  College,  so  vital  to  the  life 
and  growth  of  our  denomination  in  the  South, 
asking  our  pastors  to  open  their  pulpits  as  soon 
as  possible  to  its  representatives,  pleading  with 
our  men  and  women  of  means  to  consider  it 
as  a  place  of  most  fruitful  investment. 

(3)  We  do  not  deem  it  expedient  in  this  re- 
port to  make  any  recommendation  as  to  the  re- 
location of  Catawba  College.  This  is  a  ques- 
tion to  be  determined  by  the  Board  of  Trustees 
and  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina,  after  a  care- 
ful survey  of  all  conditions.  The  offer  of  the 
splendid  property  at  Salisbury  is  an  example 
of  the  great  possibilities  open  to  the  College 


246  Catawba  College 

should  relocation  be  determined  upon.  It  goes 
without  saying  that  in  the  development  of  the 
institution  into  a  standard  'A'  college,  the 
physical  requirements  as  to  buildings  and  equip- 
ment must  be  fully  and  adequately  met. 

(4)  Inasmuch  as  the  Board  of  Home  Mis- 
sions is  giving  to  Catawba  College  at  the  rate 
of  $200,000  out  of  its  quota  of  the  Forward 
Movement,  and  inasmuch  as  this  institution  is 
the  chief  Missionary  agency  for  the  promo- 
tion of  our  denomination  in  the  South,  your 
Committee  recommends  that  Synod  request  the 
Board  of  Home  Missions  to  act  with  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  the  College  in  an  advisory  ca- 
pacity. 

In  the  consideration  of  the  foregoing  report,  the 
General  Synod  was  addressed  by  Drs.  J.  C.  Leonard, 
Geo.  W.  Richards,  Joseph  H.  Apple,  A.  D.  Wolfinger, 
the  president  of  Catawba  College  and  Rev.  W.  W. 
Rowe.    The  report  was  finally  adopted  as  a  whole." 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Classis  of  North  Caro- 
lina held  in  the  First  Reformed  Church,  Salisbury, 
July  13,  1923,  the  following  communication  was  re- 
ceived from  the  Trustees  of  Catawba  College: 

The  Board  of  Trustees  of  Catawba  College  would 
submit  for  your  information  the  following  action  tak- 
en by  the  Board  at  meetings  held  on  June  5,  1923,  and 
on  July  13,  1923: 

1.  On  June  5,  1923,  the  Board  voted  to  accept 
the  proposition  offered  by  the  Trustees  of  the  Salis- 
bury Normal  and  Industrial  Institute  in  regard  to 
their  property  on  condition  that  the  citizens  of  Salis- 


Dawning  of  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College  247 

bury  raise  the  sum  of  $50,000  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Institution. 

2.     On  June  13,  1923,  the  Board  voted  to  suspend 
class-room  work  during  the  coming  school  year. 
The  Classis  thereupon  adopted  the  following  resolu- 
tions : 

Resolved,  That  we  endorse  the  action  of  the 
Trustees  of  Catawba  College  in  suspending  col- 
legiate work  during  the  coming  year. 

Resolved,  That  we  request  £h.e  Board  of  Trus- 
tees of  Catawba  College  to  reconsider  its  action  of 
June  5,  1923,  and  advise  the  Board  of  Trustees  to 
accept  immediately  the  proposition  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  the  Salisbury  Normal  and  Indus- 
trial Institute,  and  to  take  over  the  property. 
In  harmony  with  this  action  of  the  Classis,  the  Trus- 
tees on  July  13,  1923,  took  action  to  accept  the  offer 
of  the  authorities  of  the  Salisbury  Normal  and  Indus- 
trial Institute.     The  formal  transfer  was  made,   the 
consideration  being  $46,818.60. 

A  succinct  statement  of  the  status  quo  at  this  time 
is  given  as  follows  in  the  official  records  of  the  Classis, 
meeting  in  St.  Mark's  Reformed  Church,  Alamance 
County,  May  6,  1924 : 

Report  of  Treasurer  of  Catawba  College. 
As  of  May  1st,  1924. 

G.  G.  Solliday  Endowment $  20,000.00 

G.  G.  Solliday  Interest  Fund 1,460.81 

Rebecca  Solliday  Church  Building 

Fund    3,590.96 

Alumni  Endowment 13,689.00 

General    Endowment    17,000.00 


248  Catawba  College 

Emanuel  Pontius  Home  Building 

Fund    873.20 

Library    Endowment    1,528.44 

Forward  Movement  Fund   63,023.94 

Bills    Payable     32,500.00 


$153,666.35 

Invested  as  follows: 

Home  Mission  Board  Notes $  20,000.00 

First  Real  Estate  Mortgage  and 

Notes   26,179.66 

Citizens  Building  &  Loan  Stock 2,164.10 

Salisbury  Building    46,818.60 

Town  of  Newton  Bond 500.00 

Liberty  Bond,  U.  S.  Government 50.00 

Rebecca  Solliday  Church  Building 

Fund  Notes    1,650.00 

Catawba  College  Building 

(Newton)    56,029.64 

Cash  on  hand    274.35 


$153,666.35 
The  action  of  Classis  was  the  adoption  of  the  fol- 
lowing report  of  the  Committee  on  Education : 

The  report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Catawba  Col- 
lege has  come  into  our  hands  and  we  have  gleaned  the 
following  facts  from  the  minutes  of  the  Trustee  Meet- 
ings and  of  the  Classis :  On  June  25,  Dr.  A.  D.  Wol- 
finger  resigned  as  President  of  the  College  to  take 
effect  September  30,  1923.  On  July  13,  the  Trustees 
decided  to  suspend  work  at  Catawba  College  for  one 
year,  which   action  was  endorsed  by   Classis  on  the 


Dawning  of  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College  249 

same  date.  As  per  instruction  of  Classis,  the  Trus- 
tees further  took  action  on  the  same  date  to  pur- 
chase the  property  of  the  Salisbury  Normal  and  In- 
dustrial Institute  at  Salisbury  and  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  dispose  of  the  Newton  property.  On  Aug- 
gust  1,  the  committee  on  Buildings  and  Grounds 
leased  the  Newton  property  to  Asheville  University. 
On  November  28,  the  Trustees  took  action  to  sell  the 
Newton  property  to  Asheville  University  and  terms 
of  sale  were  accepted  by  the  President  of  said  Ashe- 
ville University.  On  November  28,  C.  M.  Rowe  re- 
signed as  President  of  the  Board  and  Edgar  Whitener 
was  elected  to  succeed  him.  On  the  same  date,  Dr. 
Clarence  Clapp  resigned  as  Treasurer  and  G.  A.  Fisher 
was  elected  to  succeed  him.  On  December  6,  Classis 
accepted  the  resignation  of  George  Moose  and  Rev. 
W.  W.  Rowe  as  Trustees  and  elected  J.  P.  Linn  and 
Dr.  J.  C.  Leonard  to  succeed  them.  On  July  13,  1923, 
action  was  taken  to  raise  $400,000  endowment  for 
the  College  and  a  canvass  was  launched  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Classis,  the  same  to  be  conducted  during 
the  month  of  September.  Rev.  Shuford  Peeler  was 
elected  to  finish  this  canvass  within  the  bounds  of  the 
Classis  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Keller  to  solicit  funds  for  the 
endowment  in  the  North. 

We  heartily  commend  the  Trustees  for  every  for- 
ward step  that  has  been  taken  during  the  year,  but  we 
regret  to  learn  that  no  plans  have  been  made  for  the 
immediate  completion  of  the  Salisbury  Building  and 
the  opening  of  the  College  this  year. 

The  Classis  wishes  to  reiterate  its  action  of  one  year 
ago  that  only  an  "A"  grade  Institution  will  meet  our 


250  Catawba  College 

needs  and  its  instruction  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  to 
proceed  to  lay  such  plans  as  are  necessary  to  make  Ca- 
tawba College  an  "A"  grade  Institution.  But  the  Clas- 
sis  is  mindful  that  other  things  besides  endowment, 
such  as  a  faculty,  students,  and  equipment,  are  neces- 
sary for  the  attainment  of  that  goal.  We  realize,  there- 
fore, that  if  every  cent  of  the  endowment  was  in  pos- 
session of  the  College  at  the  present  time,  it  would  be 
practically  impossible  to  open  the  Institution  with  an 
"A"  grade  rating. 

Your  committee,  therefore,  presents  the  following" 
for  your  consideration  and  adoption : 

1.  The  Classis  advises  the  Board  of  Trustees  to 
hasten  the  completion  of  the  $400,000  endowment 
within  the  bounds  of  the  Classis,  in  Salisbury,  and 
throughout  the  Church  by  the  sending  out  of  such 
additional  workers  as  are  necessary. 

2.  The  Classis  advises  the  Trustees  to  resume 
collegiate  work  by  opening  Catawba  College  in  Salis- 
bury in  September,  1925. 

3.  The  Classis  advises  the  Board  of  Trustees  to 
proceed  at  once  to  the  selection  of  a  Dean  or  Presi- 
dent who  shall  begin  work  at  the  earliest  possible 
date. 

4.  The  Classis  advises  that  the  unused  portion 
of  interest  received  on  the  G.  G.  Solliday  Endow- 
ment Fund  be  applied  to  the  Hebecca  Solliday  Church 
Building  Fund  as  per  instructions  provided  for  in 
the  will. 

5.  That  Classis  apportion  43  cents  per  mem- 
ber for  Catawba  College  and  that  the  same  be  placed 
in  the  contingent  column. 


Rev.  Shuford  Peeler. 


(251) 


Dawning  of  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College  253 

6.     That  Classis  hereby  calls  upon  all  our  peo- 
ple to  cooperate  with  the  Board  of  Trustees  in  carry- 
ing out  the  above  instructions  and  in  the  working 
out  of  such  other  plans  as  may  be  deemed  necessary 
for  a  greater  Catawba  College,  looking  forward  to 
the  time  within  the  next  few  years  when  our  College 
may  be  an  "A"  grade  Institution  and  take  her  place 
along   with    the    other    Christian    Colleges    of    the 
State  in  the  education  of  the  youth  of  our  land. 
The  Trustees  felt  that  before  the  College  could  be 
reopened  an  endowment  fund  must  be  secured.    It  was 
decided   that  the   minimum   amount   which   must   be 
raised  to  meet  the  State  requirements  for  a  standard 
college  was  $400,000.     Hence,  the  task  of  raising  this 
tremendous  sum  was  undertaken.     A  Committee  con- 
sisting of  Rev.  Shuford  Peeler,  J.  T.  Hedrick  and  Rev. 
J.  H.  Keller  was  appointed  to  work  out  a  plan  of  cam- 
paign. 

The  plan  of  campaign  recommended  by  the  Com- 
mittee was  as  follows :  $150,000  to  be  secured  in  the 
North  Carolina  Classis,  $200,000  to  be  secured  in  the 
Reformed  Church  outside  of  North  Carolina,  and  $50,- 
000  to  be  secured  in  the  city  of  Salisbury.  The  Classis 
was  divided  into  three  sections  for  the  campaign :  the 
Eastern,  Central  and  Western,  and  allotments  made 
the  different  sections.  Rev.  Shuford  Peeler,  in  con- 
nection with  his  pastoral  work  at  Charlotte,  had  charge 
of  the  campaign  in  the  Classis.  Literature  was  dis- 
tributed through  the  Churches,  the  campaign  launched, 
and  over  $140,000  raised  in  the  Classis.  Rev.  J.  H. 
Keller  was  given  leave  of  absence  by  his  congrega- 
tions, and  spent  a  number  of  months  in  the  North  in 


254  Catawba  College 

the  interests  of  the  college,  and  secured  subscriptions 
for  nearly  ten  thousand  dollars. 

It  is  easy  to  see  that  these  months  were  epoch-mak- 
ing in  the  history  of  Catawba  College.  As  a  matter  of 
record  the  names  of  the  Trustees  and  the  committees 
are  herewith  given;  and  also  the  names  of  those  com- 
posing the  first  faculty  of  the  new  Institution : 

TRUSTEES. 
Term  Expires  1925. 
Edgar  Whitener,  High  Point,  N.  C,  President. 
H.  E.  Rowe,  M.  D.,  Newton,  N.  C. 
Rev.  John  H.  Keller,  China  Grove,  N.  C. 
M.  A.  Foil,  M.  D.,  Mt.  Pleasant,  N.  C. 
J.  T.  Hedrick,  Lexington,  N.  C. 
Rev.  George  Longaker,  D.  D.,  Hickory,  N.  C,  Sec- 
retary. 

Term  Expires  1926. 
Rev.  J.  C.  Leonard,  D.  D.,  Lexington,  N.  C. 
J.  0.  Moose,  Concord,  N.  C. 
W.  G.  Hinkle,  Thomasville,  N.  C. 
J.  T.  Plott,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 
Rev.  Shuford  Peeler,  Charlotte,  N.  C. 
J.  P.  Linn,  Landis,  N.  C. 

Term  Expires  1927. 
John  W.  Peeler,  Rockwell,  N.  C,  Vice-President. 
C.  M.  Rowe,  Newton,  N.  C. 
John  L.  Gerber,  York,  Pa. 
G.  A.  Fisher,  Salisbury,  N.  C,  Treasurer. 
L.  A.  Corriher,  Landis,  N.  C. 
Harry  Foil,  Mt.  Pleasant,  N.  C. 


(255) 


Dawning  of  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College  257 

STANDING  COMMITTEES. 

Executive. 

Edgar  Whitener,  Chairman 
J.  W.  Peeler  G.  A.  Fisher 

Rev.  George  Longaker,  D.  D.  J.  T.  Hedrick 

Finance  and  Investments 

J.  T.  Hedrick,  Chairman 
John  L.  Gerber  J.  P.  Linn 

W.  G.  Hinkle  Edgar  Whitener 

Buildings  and  Grounds 

L.   A.    Corriher,    Chairman 
Harry  Foil  J.  O.  Moose 

J.  T.  Plott  Dr.  M.  A.  Foil 

Budget 

Edgar  Whitener,  Chairman 
Dr.  J.  C  Leonard  L.  A.  Corriher 

J.  T.  Hedrick  C.  M.  Rowe 

Instruction 

Dr.   J.   C.   Leonard,   Chairman 
Rev.  George  Longaker,  D.  D.     Rev.  Shuford  Peeler 
Dr.  H.  E.  Rowe  Rev.  John  H.  Keller 

OFFICERS  OF  ADMINISTRATION. 

Rev.  Elmer  Rhodes  Hoke,  Ph.  D., President 

Rev.  Shuford  Peeler  ....   Bursar  and  Dean  of  Men 
W.  Augusta  Lantz,  M.  S.,  ....  Registrar  and  Dean 
of  Women. 


258  Catawba  College 

FACULTY. 

Elmer  Rhodes  Hoke,  B.  D.,  Ph.  D.,  President  and 
Professor  of  Education  and  Psychology 

Shuford  Peeler,  A.  B.,  B.  D.,  Bursar,  Dean  of  Men, 
and  Professor  of  Religion 

W.  Augusta  Lantz,  M.  S.,  Registrar  and  Dean  of 
Women 

Ernst  Derendinger,  Ph.  D.,  Professor  of  History  and 
Modern  Languages 

Raymond  Jenkins,  Ph.  D.,  Professor  of  English 

John  Paul  Pritchard,  Ph.  D.,  Professor  of  Ancient 
Languages 

George  Garfield  Ramsey,  Ph.  D.,  Professor  of 
Chemistry 

Ralph  P.  Seward,  Ph.  D.,  Professor  of  Physics  and 
Mathematics 

Mary  F.  Seymour,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Biology,  Physi- 
ology and  Hygiene 

Emma  Louise  Wills,  B.  A.,  Librarian 

Florence  Fransioli  Busby,  Director  of  Dramatic 
Art 

Grace  Goodykoontz,  Instructor  in  Voice 

Lura  Garner,  A.  B.,  B.  M.,  Instructor  in  Piano 

Harold  Hastings  Newman,  A.  B.,  M.  D.,  F.  A.  C.  S. 

James  Graham  Ramsay,  A.  B.,  M.  D.  (Associate  Col- 
lege Physicians,  Directors  of  Physical  Education 
and  Athletics) 

Olive  L.  Jenkins,  B.  L.  I.,  Instructor  in  Expression 

Laura  Warren  Maupin,  B.  M.,  Instructor  in  Theo- 
retical Music 


President  Hoke. 


(259) 


Dawning  of  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College  261 

Rev.  Elmer  R.  Hoke,  Ph.  D.,1  was  elected  President 
of  Catawba  College  on  August  7,  1924.  Shortly  after, 
he  gave  official  notice  of  his  acceptance  of  the  honor- 
able and  responsible  position.  His  first  annual  report 
to  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina,  in  session  at  Lower 
Stone  Church,  Rowan  County,  May,  1925,  is  a  succinct 
statement  of  the  development  of  the  college,  parts  of 
which,  together  with  a  summary  from  the  report  of 
the  treasurer  of  the  college,  Mr.  George  A.  Fisher, 
are  as  follows : 

Report  of  the  Trustees  of  Catawba  College: 

To  the  Reverend  Classis  of  North  Carolina : 
Dear  Fathers  and  Brethren : 

"As  President  of  Catawba  College,  I  beg  leave  to 
present  the  following  report  for  your  consideration : 

"I  was  elected  to  the  presidency  of  Catawba  College 
and  began  my  work  on  September  1,  1924,  almost  four 


lElmer  Rhodes  Hoke,  son  of  Edward  John  and  Mary  Margaret 
(Rhodes)  Hoke,  was  born  at  Ada,  Ohio,  September  16,  1892. 
In  1909  he  graduated  from  the  Lewistown,  Pennsylvania,  High 
School.  Franklin  and  Marshall  College  conferred  upon  him  the 
A.  B.  degree  in  1913,  and  the  A.  M.  in  1914.  In  1917  he  received 
the  B.  D.  degree  from  The  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Re- 
formed Church,  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania.  He  received  the  A.  M. 
degree  from  Johns  Hopkins  University  in  1920,  and  the  Ph.  D. 
in  1922.  He  served  in  two  pastorates  as  follows:  Faith  Reformed 
Church,  Trafford,  Pa.,  1917-18;  Trinity  Reformed  Church,  Balti- 
more, Md.,  1918-20.  From  1920  to  1922  he  was  Professor  of  Edu- 
cation and  Psychology  in  Hood  College,  and  from  1922  to  1924 
he  held  the  same  chair  in  Lebanon  Valley  College.  He  also 
taught  during  summer  sessions  in  Birmingham-Southern  College, 
the  University  of  Richmond,  and  Lebanon  Valley  College.  He 
is  the  author  of  a  technical  book  which  is  in  its  second  edition, 
and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Pennsylvania  Academy  of  Science. 
He  was  elected  President  of  Catawba  College  on  August  7,  1924. 


262  Catawba  College 

months  after  the  last  annual  sessions  of  your  body.  The 
situation  of  the  college  on  September  1  was  practically 
the  same  as  that  reported  to  you  a  year  ago,  with  the 
exception  that  the  reported  sale  of  the  old  Catawba 
College  property  to  the  Asheville  Universities,  Inc.,  had 
been  found  to  be  a  disappointment,  inasmuch  as  the 
supposed  buyers  were  not  responsible  parties. 

"In  accordance  with  the  report  of  the  President  of 
the  Board  a  year  ago,  and  in  accordance  also  with  the 
recommendations  contained  in  the  report  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Education,  it  was  clearly  stated  to  me  by 
the  members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  with  whom  I 
conferred  prior  to  my  call,  that  the  principal  work 
that  would  be  expected  of  the  President  during  the 
first  year  was  that  of  endeavoring  to  complete  the  sub- 
scription of  an  endowment  fund  of  four  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars. 

"At  my  request  Rev.  John  H.  Keller  again  took  a 
furlough  from  his  pastorate  and  went  into  the  Church 
in  the  North  to  continue  his  work  for  the  endowment 
fund.  After  approximately  two  months  Brother  Kel- 
ler felt  that  the  time  had  come  when  it  would  be  nec- 
essary for  him,  in  fairness  to  his  charge,  to  return  to 
the  work  of  his  pastorate. 

"The  month  of  September  I  spent  in  an  effort  to 
organize  a  campaign  through  the  four  Synods :  Ohio, 
Pittsburg,  Potomac,  and  Eastern.  I  drove  over  these 
four  Synods  in  my  car,  interviewing  brethren  in  the 
ministry,  who  I  had  reason  to  believe  might  be  efficient 
workers  for  Catawba  College.  In  making  selections 
of  these  I  had  the  advice  of  Dr.  Chas.  E.  Schaeffer  and 
others.     The  plan  of  organization  had  also  been  ap- 


Dawning  of  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College  263 

proved  by  men  in  whom  I  had  reason  to  have  confi- 
dence, especially  Mr.  George  A.  Williams,  who  later 
conducted  our  successful  campaign  in  Salisbury.  It 
was  his  judgment  that  no  better  plan  could  be  devised. 
I  was  successful  in  securing  the  promises  of  fifty  min- 
isters in  thirty  Classes  that  they  would  sacrifice  their 
time  and  energy  in  the  effort  to  secure  the  proper 
support  for  Catawba  College  in  their  respective  terri- 
tories. I  regret  to  report  the  plan  a  comparative  fail- 
ure. Only  two  or  three  of  the  men  accomplished  any- 
thing worth  mentioning. 

"The  month  of  October  was  consumed  mainly  in  at- 
tendance upon  the  four  Synods.  From  that  time  on  to 
the  Christmas  holidays  I  was  continuously  occupied  in 
the  directing  of  the  campaign,  in  soliciting  subscrip- 
tions, and  in  public  presentations  of  the  cause.  I  had 
prepared  two  booklets  together  with  other  pieces  of 
literature  and  during  this  period  had  sent  out  to  the 
larger  contributors  of  the  Church  probably  thirty 
thousand  pieces  of  literature.  I  also  kept  the  cause  be- 
fore the  Church  by  having  one  or  more  articles  in  prac- 
tically every  issue  of  all  the  Church  papers.  While 
subscriptions  were  not  received  as  rapidly  as  they 
should  have  been  to  insure  the  complete  success  of  the 
effort  to  raise  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  yet  I 
was  happy  to  note  numerous  evidences  of  a  rapidly 
growing  sentiment  throughout  the  whole  church  in 
favor  of  the  college.  All  in  all,  I  felt  that  the  work 
of  these  four  months,  while  it  had  not  succeeded  in 
raising  a  great  sum  of  money,  had  nevertheless  been 
a  success,  in  that  the  way  was  prepared  for  complete 
success  in  the  future.     Everywhere  members  in  oui 


264  Catawba  College 

church  began  to  say:  'This  thing  must  be  done,  ^t 
can  be  done,  and  it  will  be  done.' 

"On  December  29,  I  went  to  Salisbury  with  Mr.  Geo. 
A.  Williams,  a  member  of  St.  John's  Reformed  Church 
of  Lebanon,  Pennsylvania,  and  an  expert  in  the  conduct 
of  short-time  compaigns.  Working  under  the  author- 
ity of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  with  the  approval  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  other  organizations  in 
Salisbury,  we  began  to  gather  together  an  organiza- 
tion for  a  campaign  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars  in  Salisbury  and  adjacent  counties. 

"At  the  time  of  your  last  meeting,  the  plan  was  to 
raise  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  Salisbury.  We  now 
planned  to  secure  twenty  thousand  dollars  in  each  of 
the  five  counties  bordering  on  Rowan.  The  campaign 
had  not  advanced  far  before  it  was  found  that  this 
part  of  the  plan  was  a  vain  hope.  It  was  necessary, 
therefore,  to  give  up  that  part  of  our  program  and  to 
try  to  secure  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  in 
Rowan  County.  It  should  be  noted  here  that  Mr.  Wil- 
liams did  his  work  well.  Tactfully  he  brought  to- 
gether discordant  elements  and  enlisted  the  full  sup- 
port of  the  entire  community,  with  the  result  that  on 
the  closing  night  of  the  campaign,  February  16,  1925, 
the  reports  ran  the  total  secured  considerably  be- 
yond the  goal  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
In  connection  with  this  campaign,  also,  a  booklet  was 
prepared  and  literature  sent  to  all  the  members  of  our 
church  in  the  state.  For  this  purpose  the  mailing  list 
of  the  'Standard'  was  used.  It  was  hoped,  by  this 
method,  to  complete  the  campaign  within  the  Classis. 
Committees  were  also  organized  at  several  points  in 


Dawning  of  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College  265 

the  Classis  who  were  charged  with  the  responsibility 
of  completing  the  work  in  their  sections.  Some  small 
results  were  secured  from  these  efforts  and  the  total 
was  brought  to  within  ten  per  cent  of  the  goal. 

"During  January,  February,  and  March  I  presented 
the  cause  practically  every  Sunday  in  the  larger 
churches  of  Reading  and  Harrisburg,  and  found  time 
to  secure  a  few  contributions.  I  also  kept  in  touch 
with  the  ministers  of  our  church,  and  with  the  organi- 
zation of  workers  and  the  committees  appointed  by 
Synods  and  Classes,  although  I  never  secured  any  large 
measure  of  cooperation. 

"During  these  months  several  meetings  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  were  held  and  much  important  work  was 
done.  Plans  were  being  prepared  for  the  girls'  dor- 
mitory and  for  the  reopening  of  the  institution.  Final- 
ly, the  Trustees  were  brought  face  to  face  with  a  great 
problem.  The  campaigns  had  not  attained  complete 
success.  The  total  of  four  hundred  thousand  dollars 
was  not  fully  subscribed.  Yet  there  was  sufficient  suc- 
cess to  make  it  impossible  to  turn  back.  The  Board 
found  that  while  they  were  not  fully  ready  to  reopen 
the  college,  yet  they  were  forced  to  do  so,  in  order  to 
keep  faith  with  those  who  had  subscribed  to  the  fund. 
Accordingly,  it  was  decided  to  reopen  the  institution 
in  September,  1925,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
finance,  plan,  and  carry  out  the  necessary  building  pro- 
gram. On  April  1  I  took  up  residence  in  the  college 
at  Salisbury,  and  on  April  10  contracts  were  let  for 
the  completion  of  our  Main  Hall  and  for  the  erection 
of  our  girls'  dormitory,  the  W.  M.  S.  G.  S.  Hall. 


266  Catawba  College 

"Many  other  things  needed  to  be  done  in  order  to 
prepare  for  the  reopening  of  the  institution.  Chief 
among  these  was  the  securing  of  a  faculty  and  stu- 
dents. After  a  voluminous  correspondence  with  uni- 
versities and  candidates,  the  Committee  on  Instruction 
made  certain  recommendations  to  the  Board  about  a 
month  ago.  We  are  happy  to  report  that  we  have  suc- 
ceeded in  securing  what  we  consider  a  very  strong  fac- 
ulty. 

"The  new  catalogues  have  come  from  the  press  and 
the  campaign  for  enrolling  students  is  getting  under 
way.  By  action  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  every  Minis- 
ter of  Classis  is  appointed  a  committee  of  one  to  work 
for  the  enrollment  of  students  from  his  own  territory. 
The  success  of  the  college  in  its  first  year  depends  very 
largely  upon  our  success  in  enrolling  a  large  number 
of  students.  Those  brethren  who  will  serve  faithfully 
and  give  their  best  efforts  to  this  work  will  be  render- 
ing a  most  important  service  to  our  Church. 

"The  members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  and  the  of- 
ficers of  the  college  are  in  complete  accord  in  their  in- 
tention to  prosecute  the  campaign  for  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars  in  the  church  at  large.  They  believe 
that  during  the  coming  year  this  campaign  will  be 
more  aggressively  and  more  successfully  carried  on 
than  ever  before.  Rev.  Shuford  Peeler  has  been  elect- 
ed Financial  Secretary  and  will  give  his  full  time  from 
May  1,  1925,  to  September  1,  1926,  to  the  prosecution 
of  the  work,  probably  in  the  Eastern  Synod.  Rev.  H.  N. 
Smith,  of  Marion,  Pennsylvania,  who  has  done  good 
work  for  our  cause,  has  been  elected  as  an  additional 
financial  agent.    He  will  give  his  full  time  from  May  1, 


Dawning  of  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College  267 

1925,  to  September  1,  1926,  to  this  work,  in  the  Pitts- 
burg Synod,  completing  the  work  in  the  Potomac  Syn- 
od, and  perhaps  assisting  in  the  Eastern  Synod.  The 
President  of  the  college  expects  to  give  at  least  one- 
half  of  his  time  to  the  work  of  the  campaign  in  the 
Church  at  large. 

"During  the  past  year,  we  have  been  greatly  handi- 
capped in  our  efforts  by  the  fact  that  it  was  the  Com- 
pletion Year  of  the  Forward  Movement  and  the  first 
year  of  the  increased  apportionment.  Many  of  our 
strongest  churches  felt  that  they  were  already  bur- 
dened beyond  the  limit.  Congregations  that  had  sub- 
scribed thirty,  forty,  or  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  the 
Forward  Movement,  were  making  great  efforts  to  se- 
cure payments  of  their  subscriptions,  and  they  felt, 
doubtless  with  some  justice,  that  their  principal  busi- 
ness was  to  devote  all  energies  and  efforts  to  the 
completion  of  the  Forward  Movement.  Doubtless  it 
is  true  that  the  past  year  was  in  many  ways  the  worst 
in  the  history  of  the  Church  for  such  a  campaign  as  we 
tried  to  wage. 

"With  the  closing  of  the  Forward  Movement  on 
June  30,  and  after  the  churches  have  settled  down  for 
a  year  to  the  increased  apportionment,  we  believe  that 
the  coming  year  will  be  more  auspicious  for  our  efforts. 
However,  we  need  to  take  warning  of  the  fact  that 
there  will  be  at  least  a  half-dozen  other  campaigns 
carried  on  by  various  Boards  and  Institutions  of  our 
Church  during  the  coming  year.  The  multiplicity  of 
campaigns  may  again  prove  a  serious  handicap.  How- 
ever, we  are  all  determined  to  press  forward  with  all 
patience  and  Christian  love,  but  at  the  same  time  with 


268  Catawba  College 

all  the  energy  and  determination  that  we  can  command. 
Of  this  we  are  convinced :  that  it  is  the  will  of  the 
whole  Church  that  the  two  hundred  thousand  dollars 
approved  by  the  General  Synod  is  to  be  given  to  Ca- 
tawba College.    It  remains  to  'perform  the  doing  of  it.' 

"Building  operations  are  under  way  at  the  College. 
Steps  are  being  taken  and  investigations  made  looking 
toward  the  completion  and  proper  equipment  of  the 
institution  on  a  standard  'A'  grade  basis  throughout. 
A  strong  faculty  will  be  there,  and  we  can  conscien- 
tiously promise  to  pastors  and  parents  that  if  they  send 
their  young  people  to  Catawba  College  they  will  re- 
ceive an  education  as  good  as  can  be  secured  anywhere. 
Above  all,  we  hope  that  there  will  be  many  young  men 
and  women  preparing  definitely  for  Christian  service 
as  ministers,  missionaries,  or  in  other  capacities.  Our 
prayer  is  not  that  God  shall  make  Catawba  great,  but 
that  He  shall  use  her  greatly.  'He  that  would  be 
great  among  you,  let  him  be  your  minister.' 

"We  are  glad  to  report  that  on  Thursday,  April  26, 
the  college  property  at  Newton  was  put  on  sale  by  one 
of  the  land  companies,  with  fairly  satisfactory  re- 
sults. The  total  amount  of  the  sale  was  approximately 
$64,000,  which  includes,  however,  the  sum  of  approxi- 
mately $21,000  bid  by  the  committee  for  the  Main 
building  and  the  ground  on  which  it  stands.  This 
part  of  the  property,  therefore,  remains  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  Trustees.  We  have  reason  to  believe  that 
it  can  be  disposed  of  to  better  advantage  by  private 
sale  than  if  sold  at  auction. 

"Before  closing  this  report  I  am  constrained  to  ex- 
press my  deep  appreciation  for  the  fine  spirit  of  loyalty 


J.  T.  Hedrick. 


(269) 


Dawning  of  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College  271 

of  our  people  in  the  Classis,  for  the  many  kindnesses 
of  my  brethren,  for  the  harmonious  support  by  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  every  movement  which  was  cal- 
culated for  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  the 
college,  and  for  the  unstinted  labors  of  the  Trustees 
and  Ministers. 

"It  is  but  fair  that  I  should  make  special  mention  of 
the  services  of  Mr.  J.  T.  Hedrick,  the  chairman  of  our 
Building  and  Finance  Committee,  who  gave  weeks  of 
his  time  to  painstaking  study  and  investigation  of 
building  plans,  who  saved  for  the  college  a  great  deal 
of  money  by  putting  at  its  disposal  all  the  advantages 
of  his  business  acumen,  and  who  succeeded  in  financing 
our  building  operations  only  by  pledging  a  large  sum 
of  his  own  securities.  In  the  whole  history  of  cur 
Church,  North  and  South,  East  and  West,  there  have 
been  very  few  instances  in  which  any  man  has  matched 
the  services  of  this  good  friend  and  brother. 

"My  only  request  of  the  Classis  is  that  you  continue 
to  stand  steadfastly  back  of  the  college.  Much  work 
remains  to  be  done.  If  the  people  of  our  Church  will 
stand  by  the  college  now,  they  shall  find  that  the  Col- 
lege will  be  one  of  the  strongest  supports  of  the  Church 
in  the  future.  Our  people  have  a  mind  to  see  this 
through.  Let  us  look  to  God  in  prayer  for  his  bene- 
diction upon  our  labors,  and  then  work  on  to  success. 
It  is  His  will  that  we  seek  to  perform.  Therefore,  we 
cannot  fail,  for  He  never  fails." 

Respectfully  submitted, 
Elmer  R.  Hoke,  President. 


272  Catawba  College 

Report  of  Treasurer  of  Catawba  College. 
As  of  May  1,  1925. 

G.  G.  Solliday  Endowment   $  20,000.00 

General   Endowment    . 17,000.00 

Alumni    Endowment    13,689.00 

Rebecca  Solliday  Church  Building 

Fund 5,724.93 

Emanuel  Pontius  Home  Building 

Fund    925.58 

Library   Endowment    1,620.12 

Forward  Movement  Fund   73,903.87 

Building  and  Endowment 

Subscriptions    214,551.16 

Endowment  Subscriptions   134,722.00 

Gifts  and  Accumulations 189,842.74 

Athletic   Fund    84.27 

Bills  Payable   28,500.00 

$700,563.67 

Invested  as  follows : 

Home  Mission  Board  Notes $  20,000.00 

Real  Estate  Mortgages  and  Notes 53,376.50 

Citizens  Building  and  Loan  Stock 2,515.10 

Salisbury  Building    196,884.65 

Grounds    25,000.00 

Books,  Equipment,  and  Furniture 32,262.70 

Rebecca  Solliday  Church  Building 

Fund    Note    900.00 

Bonds    1,050.00 

Catawba  College  Building  and  22 

lots,  Newton 23,533.74 


Dawning  of  a  New  Day  for  Catawba  College  273 

Subscriptions  Outside  of  North 

Carolina    49,936.17 

Subscriptions  in  Salisbury 

Campaign    151,643.50 

Subscriptions  in  North  Carolina 

Classis   133,172.90 

Cash 10,188.41 


$700,563.67 
Note :   Since  this  Statement  was  prepared  Bills  Pay- 
able has  been  reduced  by  $8,500.00. 

Respectfully  submitted, 
G.  A.  Fisher,  Treasurer. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  First  Year  of  the  New  Catawba  College. 

THE  FOLLOWING  is  the  report  of  the  President 
of  Catawba  College,  Dr.  Elmer  R.  Hoke,  at  the 
end  of  the  first  scholastic  year,  submitted  both 
to  the  Classis  of  North  Carolina,  in  96th  annual  ses- 
sions in  Hedrick's  Grove  Reformed  Church,  Davidson 
County,  May  11,  1926,  and  to  the  Trustees  of  the 
College  on  June  7 : 

The  first  year  of  the  work  of  the  new  Catawba  Col- 
lege at  Salisbury  has  been  brought  to  a  close.  Already 
the  friends  of  the  institution  have  been  convinced  that 
the  college  in  its  new  location  has  a  very  successful 
and  bright  future.  These  are  days  of  hopefulness  and 
enthusiam  in  this  cause  which  is  so  dear  to  our  hearts. 
Under  such  happy  circumstances  it  is  a  privilege  to 
present  this,  the  first  annual  report  of  the  work  of 
the  new  Catawba. 

Outstanding  Events  of  the  Year. 

Since  our  last  annual  meeting  the  Administration 
Building  and  Zartman  Hall  have  been  completed,  and 
the  latter  dedicated  with  impressive  ceremonies.  The 
college  opened  with  a  splendid  reopening  program. 
On  this  occasion  the  address  was  delivered  by  our 
State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Dr.  A.  T. 
Allen. 

The  next  important  public  event  was  the  Inaugura- 
tion of  the  President.    This  function  was  well-attended. 

(274) 


The  First  Year  of  Catawba  College        275 

A  large  number  of  delegates  were  present  from  various 
institutions,  and  from  the  Church  Boards.  The  prin- 
cipal address  of  the  occasion  was  delivered  by  Dr. 
J.  Henry  Highsmith,  State  Supervisor  of  High  Schools, 
who  had  also  rendered  important  service  in  assisting 
the  Building  Committee  to  lay  plans  for  our  building 
program.  The  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  was  con- 
ferred upon  Dr.  Highsmith  as  a  token  of  appreciation 
of  his  special  services  in  helping  to  solve  our  problems, 
as  well  as  in  recognition  of  his  attainments  and  his 
larger  services  in  the  State.  The  addresses  of  Dr. 
Allen  and  Dr.  Highsmith,  together  with  the  inaugural 
address  of  the  President,  have  been  published  in  one 
of  the  Bulletins  of  the  College  under  the  title :  "The 
College — Three  Addresses." 

Early  in  January  the  Committee  of  the  North  Caro- 
lina College  Conference  inspected  the  College  and  re- 
ported in  favor  of  giving  full  credit  for  four  years  of 
college  work.  Thus,  the  institution  has  attained  its 
ambition  for  accredited  standing  as  an  A-grade  col- 
lege. This  rating,  however,  is  not  yet  permanent,  but 
will  become  so  only  as  the  college  continues  to  show 
on  further  inspections  that  the  standards  are  being 
met.  (In  December,  1926,  this  rating  was  made  per- 
manent and  unconditional.) 

Another  important  event  of  the  year  was  the  award- 
ing of  the  contract  for  the  new  gymnasium  on  April  2. 
Already  the  building  is  well  under  way  and  it  will  cer- 
tainly be  available  for  use  at  the  opening  of  the  col- 
lege in  September.  By  this  step  Catawba  will  be  pro- 
vided with  an  equipment  for  physical  and  athletic 
work  rarely  matched  in  small  colleges. 


276  Catawba  College 

Publications. 

During  the  year  the  college  took  the  necessary  steps 
to  have  its  catalogue  admitted  to  second  class  under 
the  name  of  "The  Catawba  College  Bulletin,"  published 
quarterly  in  April,  July,  October,  and  January.  In 
this  series  have  appeared  the  following: 

Volume  I. 

No.   1.     The  Prospectus    (first  catalogue)      (Not 

under  second  class.) 
No.  2.     Scholarship  Announcement. 
No.  3.     Report  to  the  Potomac  Synod. 
No.  4.     The  College — Three  Addresses. 

Volume  II. 

No.  1.     The  Catalogue. 
No.  2.     Booklet  of  Views. 

No.  3.  Supplement.  Announcement  of  the  Music 
Department. 
The  Registrar  is  at  work  on  an  Alumni  Directory  or 
Roster  which  is  to  be  published  in  the  series.  It  is 
hoped  that  this  will  inaugurate  a  movement  for  closer 
organization  and  greater  activity  on  the  part  of  the 
Alumni.  Already  the  request  has  come  from  Alumni 
for  an  annual  reunion  in  connection  with  commence- 
ment week. 

The  Faculty. 

We  are  convinced  that  a  college  may  be  great  with- 
out being  either  large  or  rich,  and  that  it  may  even  do 
as  good  work,  or  better  work  than  some  institutions 
that  are  apparently  more  fortunate  in  numbers  and 
financial  strength.  Accordingly,  Catawba  College  was 
reorganized  with  a  definite  policy  of  seeking  for  its 


The  First  Year  of  Catawba  College       277 

professorships  only  men  and  women  who  could  meet 
the  following  requirements: 

1.  A  Ph.  D.  degree  or  the  equivalent  training  in 
a  recognized  graduate  school  to  insure  knowl- 
edge of  the  subject  to  be  taught. 

2.  Membership  in  a  Protestant  Christian  Church 
to  insure  their  contribution  to  a  Christian  re- 
ligious atmosphere  and  purpose  in  the  college. 

3.  Successful  experience  in  college  teaching. 
Accordingly,  the  first  faculty  consisted  of  sixteen  per- 
sons, seven  of  whom  had  only  part  time  work  in  con- 
nection with  the  library,  dramatics,  music,  physical  ed- 
ucation, and  athletics.  The  other  nine  have  had  an 
average  of  FOUR  YEARS  OF  POST  GRADUATE 
WORK.  Of  the  six  professors  giving  their  full  time 
to  academic  instruction,  all  but  one  actually  hold  the 
Ph.  D.  degree  from  leading  universities.  The  Pro- 
fessor of  Biology  has  had  equivalent  graduate  train- 
ing in  several  universities,  and  was  chosen  for  extra- 
ordinary recommendation  which  she  has  amply  justi- 
fied. All  the  professors  of  the  first  year  have  been  re- 
elected and  have  accepted  their  contracts.  Members 
of  the  faculty  have  commented  upon  the  fine  spirit  of 
cooperation  that  exists.  Ours  is  a  happy  group.  It 
is  our  ambition  to  avoid  sources  of  discontent  so  that 
the  faculty  may  never  suffer  from  any  great  annual 
exodus,  but  become  a  relatively  stable  as  well  as  a 
strong  group. 

The  following  additions  have  been  made  for  the  next 

academic  year: 

Carlton  C.  Rice,  Ph.  D.,  Harvard,  French  and  Span- 
ish. 


278  Catawba  College 

Bruce  A.  Wentz,  Ph.  D.,  Johns  Hopkins,  Psychol- 
ogy. 
Clayton  B.  Alexander,  Ph.  D.,  U.  N.  C,  History. 
Ruth  B.  Smith,  B.  S.,  Cornell,  Home  Economics. 
Gabriel  Zsigmondy,  Royal  Academy  of  Music,  Buda- 
pest, Music. 
Rob  Roy  Peery,  A.  B.,  Mus.  B.,  Midland  and  Oberlin, 

Violin,  Organ. 
Olive  L.  Jenkins,  B.  L.  I.,  Emerson,  Public  Speaking 

and  Expression. 
Dora  L.  Kline,  A.  B.,  Hood,  two  years  library  science 

in  George  Washington  University,  Librarian. 
G.  Flake  Laird,  B.  S.,  Davidson,  Director  of  Physi- 
cal Education. 

There  will  also  be  four  student  assistants,  two  in 
Biology  and  two  in  Chemistry. 

In  this  connection  mention  should  also  be  made  of 
the  faithful  and  efficient  services  of  Janie  E.  Ander- 
son as  bookkeeper  and  assistant  to  the  treasurer,  Mr. 
L.  P.  Davis  as  Superintendent  of  Buildings  and 
Grounds,  and  Mrs.  L.  P.  Davis  as  Superintendent  of 
the  boarding  department.  For  the  second  year  there 
will  also  be  a  stenographer  who  will  have  charge  of 
the  Book  Store  and  Post  Office  in  a  large  room  that 
is  being  fitted  up  for  the  purpose.  Altogether,  the  col- 
lege will  have,  next  year,  a  splendid  staff  of  more  than 
thirty  capable  and  efficient  workers. 

During  the  past  year  practically  every  member  of 
the  faculty  has  attended  one  or  more  professional  meet- 
ings or  conferences  of  their  respective  learned  societies 
or  academies.    In  this  way  the  name  of  the  college  and 


The  First  Year  of  Catawba  College       279 

the    professional    interest    of  its    faculty    have    been 
brought  to  the  attention  of  the  public. 

New  departments  of  instruction  are  being  developed. 
With  the  coming  of  Zsigmondy,  who  will  easily  rank 
as  the  first  musician  in  this  State,  and  Rob  Roy  Peery, 
who  has  no  peer  as  a  musician  in  this  State,  Catawba's 
department  of  Music  will  without  any  doubt  rank  with 
the  very  best.  Miss  Smith  will  begin  the  development 
of  a  major  course  in  Home  Economics.  The  election 
of  Dr.  Alexander,  relieving  Dr.  Derendinger  of  prac- 
tically all  work  in  History,  will  permit  of  his  develop- 
ing a  Department  of  Art,  for  which  he  is  extraordi- 
narily well  qualified  by  virtue  of  his  special  work  in 
that  field  in  European  Universities,  as  well  as  by  vir- 
tue of  his  own  temperament  and  interests.  Thus  Ca- 
tawba will  become  a  leader  in  developing  this  new  field 
of  work  in  the  college — a  field  which  is  just  now  at- 
tracting so  much  attention  from  educators. 

The  Student  Body. 

The  total  enrollment  of  students  for  the  year  was 
127.  Of  this  number  91  were  Freshmen,  17  Sopho- 
mores, and  19  unclassified.  73%  came  from  Rowan 
County,  25%  from  other  counties  of  the  State,  and 
only  37c  from  other  States.  It  is  expected  that  these 
percentages  will  be  gradually  reversed  as  the  college 
develops  in  its  new  location. 

I  am  happy  to  report  that  we  have  had  practically 
no  sickness  during  the  year.  Dr.  Pritchard  was  com- 
pelled to  undergo  an  operation  for  appendicitis,  and 
Dr.  Jenkins  suffered  from  a  severe  case  of  mumps.  In 
these  cases  practically  all  the  work  was  carried  by 


280  Catawba  College 

other  professors.  Our  experience  indicates  tne  wis- 
dom of  using  the  space  intended  in  the  original  plans 
for  an  infirmary  for  other  purposes.  The  small  col- 
lege in  a  city  with  hospital  facilities  should  scarcely 
burden  itself  with  the  heavy  expense  of  an  infirmary 
for  which  it  probably  has  almost  no  need.  We  are  pro- 
foundly grateful  for  the  good  health  enjoyed  by  the 
college. 

One  matter  which  has  caused  deep  regret  on  the 
part  of  the  faculty  has  been  the  fact  that  a  considerable 
number  of  students  either  could  not  or  would  not  do 
college  work.  Fairly  high  standards  have  been  main- 
tained by  the  faculty.  If  we  have  been  at  fault  in  this 
respect,  our  error  has  probably  been  in  the  direction  of 
over-strictness.  A  number  of  students  withdrew  of 
their  own  accord,  and  a  number  of  others  were  asked 
to  withdraw.  It  has  already  become  evident  that  such 
a  faculty  as  ours  will  not  allow  standards  to  be  lowered. 

The  college  has  had  very  little  trouble  with  discip- 
line. What  little  trouble  we  have  had  has  been  for 
the  most  part  with  students  who  also  failed  in  their 
courses.  The  college  has  felt  the  lack  of  the  steadying 
and  guiding  influence  of  upper  classes;  but  there 
has  been  a  marked  improvement  noticeable  during  the 
year.  With  the  elimination  of  the  students  who  failed, 
the  situation  became  steadily  better. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  year  the  students  were  en- 
couraged to  organize  a  Student  Government.  It  is 
hoped  that  the  best  influences  in  the  student  body  will 
gain  control  and  will  contribute  much  to  the  develop- 
ment of  a  healthy  atmosphere  in  work  and  play. 


The  First  Year  of  Catawba  College       281 

Other  student  activities  have  also  been  organized, 
such  as  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  Ministerial  Band,  the  Phil- 
omathean  and  Athenaean  Literary  Societies,  the  Ath- 
letic Association,  the  Dramatic  Club  known  as  the 
Blue  Masque,  and  the  Glee  Club.  It  is  to  be  regretted 
'that  some  of  these  organizations  were  not  as  active 
as  might  be  desired.  However,  it  is  felt  that  with  in- 
creased numbers  their  work  will  be  much  improved 
next  year. 

In  order  to  help  reestablish  the  college  for  the  first 
year,  a  number  of  students  were  awarded  fifty  dollar 
scholarships.  This  is  not  to  be  continued  for  next 
year,  but  a  reduction  of  twenty  dollars  has  been  made 
in  the  rates  for  boarding  students.  The  Faculty  has 
found  the  "five-day  plan"  unsatisfactory,  and  it  has 
been  abandoned.  The  college  will  doubtless  have  a 
six-day  schedule  next  year.  The  only  scholarships 
available  are  the  twelve  Solliday  scholarships  of  one 
hundred  dollars  each,  given  under  certain  restrictions 
to  ministerial  students.  In  addition,  a  loan  fund  has 
been  established  by  the  gift  of  $750  by  the  Masonic 
Fraternity.  This  fund  is  loaned  by  the  faculty  only 
in  emergency  cases.  This  year  one  loan  was  made  to 
the  amount  of  one  hundred  dollars  to  a  very  worthy 
student  who  would  otherwise  have  been  compelled  to 
withdraw.  The  friends  of  the  college  should  gradually 
establish  both  scholarship  and  loan  funds  sufficient  to 
meet  the  urgent  needs  of  worthy  young  men  and 
women. 


282  Catawba  College 

Student  Activities. 

The  one  student  activity  that  has  probably  consumed 
more  time  and  effort  than  any  other  has  been  athletics. 
The  college  sent  out  teams  in  football,  basketball,  base- 
ball and  track.  The  athletic  phase  of  the  work  of  the 
college  has  been  fairly  initiated.  The  various  teams, 
composed  for  the  most  part  of  freshmen,  made  as 
creditable  a  showing  as  should  be  expected.  They  had 
no  full  time  or  paid  coach,  and  were  without  such  facil- 
ities as  the  new  gymnasium  will  hereafter  afford. 

The  Blue  Masque  has  done  especially  good  work  un- 
der the  direction  of  Mrs.  J.  C.  Busby,  who  has  made 
friends  of  all  the  students,  and  has  given  them  excel- 
lent training.  Four  public  performances  were  held 
during  the  year,  the  last  of  the  four  before  the  mem- 
bers of  the  four  civic  clubs,  their  wives,  and  friends. 

The  work  of  the  literary  societies  of  the  college 
should  get  a  great  impetus  next  year.  Mr.  Hurley  of 
the  Salisbury  Post  has  announced  the  gift  of  a  beau- 
tiful cup  to  be  awarded  annually  to  the  winning  so- 
ciety, and  permanently  to  the  society  which  first  at- 
tains its  tenth  victory.  The  Civitan  Club  will  also 
give  a  medal  to  the  best  individual  debater,  while  the 
Warlick  Orator's  Medal  will  also  be  continued. 

Finance. 

The  college  is  being  conducted  under  the  budget  sys- 
tem, though  of  course  that  system  could  not  be  ex- 
pected to  work  perfectly  for  the  first  year  or  two.  The 
income  of  the  college  is  beginning  to  assume  quite 
creditable  proportions.     It  is  expected  that  with  the 


(283) 


The  First  Year  of  Catawba  College        285 

fees  from  increasing  numbers  of  students  the  college 
will  be  able  to  conduct  its  work  without  a  deficit. 
There  has  been  a  small  deficit  the  first  year,  but  not 
so  large  as  might  have  been  expected  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, in  reopening  what  is  to  all  intents  and 
purposes  a  new  institution,  though  we  are  proud  of 
the  past  and  are  seeking  to  maintain  the  continuity 
of  the  new  and  the  old  Catawba. 

The  Forward  Movement  has  continued  to  bring  some 
support  to  the  institution,  while  some  progress  has  al- 
so been  made  in  our  several  campaigns.  Reverend 
Mr.  Smith  has  labored  faithfully  in  the  Northern  part 
of  our  Church,  and  has  accomplished,  despite  trying 
circumstances,  some  good  work. 

One  of  the  most  encouraging  events  of  the  year,  fi- 
nancially, was  the  action  of  the  Potomac  Synod  levy- 
ing an  apportionment  of  ten  cents  per  member  for 
Catawba  College.  This  should  produce  an  income  of 
approximately  five  thousand  dollars,  which  will  be 
enjoyed  next  year  for  the  first  time. 

Inasmuch  as  circumstances  in  the  Church  have  made 
it  impossible  to  secure  In  full,  up  to  this  time,  the  sum 
of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  the  Church  out- 
side of  North  Carolina,  as  authorized  by  the  last  Gen- 
eral Synod,  the  Board  of  Trustees  is  petitioning  the 
General  Synod,  meeting  at  Philadelphia,  May,  1926, 
to  levy  a  small  apportionment  so  as  to  bring  to  Cataw- 
ba some  support  from  the  whole  Church. 

Catawba  has  three  groups  of  friends  to  whom  she 
may  appeal  for  financial  support:  the  community,  the 
North  Carolina  Classis,  and  the  denomination  at  large. 
The  possibilities  from  these  three  sources  are  for  the 


286  Catawba  College 

time  being  practically  exhausted,  without  giving  the 
college  all  the  support  that  it  needs.  We  are  therefore 
casting  about  hopefully  and  prayerfully  for  such  other 
sources  of  support  as  may  be  enlisted  for  our  work. 
The  future  alone  can  determine  what  success  we  shall 
have  in  this  effort. 

Equipment. 

Our  chief  asset  in  the  way  of  equipment  is,  of 
course,  our  great  Administration  Building,  which  is 
really  five  buildings  in  one :  a  faculty  building,  a  boys' 
dormitory,  an  administration  building,  a  building  of 
classrooms,  and  a  science  building.  In  addition,  we 
have  a  splendid  dormitory  for  girls,  Elizabeth  Conrad 
Zartman  Hall,  built  at  a  cost  of  $46,000.  The  W.  M. 
S.  G.  S.  and  the  G.  M.  G.  have  already  appropriated 
$28,000  for  this  purpose,  and  the  Cabinet  of  the  W.  M. 
S.  voted  during  the  year  to  recommend  to  the  W.  M. 
S.,  meeting  in  connection  with  the  sessions  of  General 
Synod,  the  payment  of  the  full  cost.  A  new  gymnasium 
is  rapidly  being  constructed,  and  the  opening  of  the 
college  in  September  will  find  us  with  a  complete  col- 
lege plant,  ranking  among  the  best. 

The  college  has  excellent  electrical,  sewerage,  and 
water  systems,  as  well  as  an  adequate  central  heating 
plant,  with  adequate  hot  water  tanks  and  heaters. 
There  is  a  modern  kitchen  and  dining  room,  nine  rooms 
well  fitted  up  for  instruction  in  the  sciences,  and  a  li- 
brary which  has  gone  far  beyond  the  standard  required, 
and  which  is  housed  in  most  attractive  quarters.  The 
college  is  being  well  equipped  for  dramatic  work,  as 
well  as  for  instruction  in  art.  The  music  studios  are  on 


(287) 


The  First  Year  of  Catawba  College        289 

the  fourth  floor.  Our  professors  and  staff  are  un- 
usually well  housed  in  comfortable  rooms,  and  their 
rooms  are  well  furnished,  as  is  the  college  throughout. 
A  large,  fire  proof  vault  was  built  in  the  college  for 
the  protection  of  students'  and  business  records.  The 
office  equipment  is  almost  complete,  and  the  science 
equipment  has  been  greatly  augmented  during  the 
year.  About  one  thousand  volumes  have  been  added 
to  the  library,  and  approximately  the  same  number 
will  be  added  annually. 

The  next  buildings  needed  will  probably  be:  (1)  a 
house  for  the  president,  (2)  a  second  dormitory  for 
girls,  (3)  a  small  Music  Conservatory,  and  (4)  a  small 
building  for  Home  Economics.  These  four  buildings 
would  cost  approximately  one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars and  would  complete  an  ideal  college  group  for  a 
college  of  four  hundred  students.  However,  there 
are  no  funds  available,  and  no  immediate  prospect  of 
the  construction  of  any  of  these  buildings  unless  some 
special  source  of  income  can  be  found  to  finance  the 
same.  The  rooms  occupied  by  the  president's  family 
must  be  assigned  to  incoming  professors  for  next 
year.  During  the  summer  a  house  must  either  be 
built  or  leased  for  his  residence.  It  will  also  be  nec- 
essary to  add  about  live  thousand  dollars  worth  of 
equipment  during  the  summer. 

Looking  Forward. 

The  outlook  for  the  college  is  bright.  Its  friends 
are  enthusiastic  and  greatly  encouraged.  There  is 
every  indication  that  the  college  in  its  new  location  is 
destined  to  become  a  source  of  pride  to  its  friends,  and 


290  Catawba  College 

to  render  a  high  service  to  Church  and  State  alike. 
The  president  proposes  to  apply  to  the  Southern  As- 
sociation of  Colleges  for  inspection  and  admission  in 
accordance  with  its  standards.  Success  in  this  inspec- 
tion would  give  another  great  impetus  to  our  work, 
and  tend  to  render  the  future  of  the  college  even  more 
secure  and  bright. 

Everything  that  has  been  accomplished  has  been 
done  only  through  the  loyal  support  of  devoted  friends 
of  the  college  in  the  community  and  in  the  Church. 
With  a  continuance  of  such  loyalty  and  support,  noth- 
ing is  impossible.  The  college  realizes  its  debt  of  grat- 
itude, and  will  endeavor  to  maintain  and  develop  such 
a  Christian  atmosphere,  and  to  render  such  noble  serv- 
ices as  will  fully  justify  the  confidence  and  generosity, 
as  well  as  the  sacrifices  of  her  friends.  Only  thus  can 
she  fulfill  her  mission. 

We  must  not  fail  to  make  mention  of  the  tireless 
efforts  and  unwavering  devotion  of  the  faithful  Board 
of  Trustees.  They  have  been  guiding  the  institution 
through  a  difficult  period  of  its  history,  and  they  are 
doing  it  nobly  and  successfully.  Nor  can  we  be  con- 
tent without  making  special  mention  of  the  Chairman 
of  the  Committees  on  Building  and  Finance,  Mr.  J.  T. 
Hedrick  of  Lexington.  He  has  placed  his  time,  his 
energy,  and  his  ability  at  the  disposal  of  the  college 
in  a  manner  which  is  as  praiseworthy  as  it  is  unusual, 
and  which  has  been  as  much  appreciated  as  it  has  been 
effective. 


President's  House. 


(291) 


The  First  Year  of  Catawba  College        293 

Seventy-Fifth  Anniversary. 

Catawba  College  was  chartered  on  December  17, 
1851.  The  Seventy-fifth  Anniversary  should  there- 
fore be  fittingly  celebrated.  It  has  been  proposed  that 
this  anniversary  should  be  made  prominent  in  con- 
nection with  commencement  in  1927.  In  connection 
with  this  approaching  anniversary,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  C. 
Leonard  has  been  challenged  to  write  the  history  of 
the  college  for  publication  in  book  form.  He  has  ac- 
cepted the  challenge  and  has  begun  to  collect  his  ma- 
terials. His  own  rich  personal .  experience  and  con- 
tacts with  the  college  make  him  peculiarly  fitted  to  per- 
form this  labor  of  love.  It  is  recommended  that  a 
committee  be  appointed  to  formulate  and  carry  out 
the  plans  for  this  celebration. 

REPORT  OF  TREASURER  G.  A.  FISHER. 
G.  G.  Solliday  Fund. 

Received  April,  30,  1926,  In- 
terest       $1200.00 

Paid  to  ministerial  students  .  .  $900.00 

Transferred  to  Rebecca  Solli- 
day Ch.  Bldg.  Fund   300.00 


$1200.00        $1200.00 

Rebecca  Solliday  Church  Building  Fund. 

May  1,  1925,  Balance $5724.93 

Interest  collected  from  Schlatter  Memorial 

Church    26.67 

Interest  on  $4824.93  at  2% 96.50 


294  Catawba  College 

April  30,   1926,  Unexpended  from  G.   G. 

Solliday  Fund    300.00 


May  1,  1926,  Balance $6148.10 

Emanuel  Pontius  Pres.  Home  Bldg.  Fund. 

May  1,  1925,  Balance   $925.58 

April  30,  1926,  Interest 55.50 


May  1,  1926,  Balance   $981.08 

Library  Endowment  Fund. 

May  1,  1925,  Balance   $1620.12 

May  1,  1926,  Balance $1620.12 

Forward  Movement  Account. 

Previously  rec'd  H.  E.  Paisley,  Treas.  .  .  $28,951.67 

Previously  rec'd  Home  Mission  Board  .  .         44,953.20 

Total  to  May  1,  1925   $73,903.87 

Rec'd  May  1,  '25  to  Apr.  30,  '26 

H.  E.  Paisley, $7250.00 

Rec'd  from  the  Home  Mission 

Board    1823.80 

Total  rec'd,  May  1,  '25  to  Apr. 

30,  '26   $9,073.80 

Total  receipts  to  April  30,  1926  $82,977.67 


The  First  Year  of  Catawba  College       295 

Catawba  College-Newton  Property. 

Balance  May  1,  1926   $23,533.74 

North  Carolina  Classis  Campaign. 
Subscriptions  outstanding  May  1,  1925  .  .   $133,172.90 
New  subscriptions,  May  1,  '25  to  Apr.  30, 

'26    1,650.00 

Total  to  May  1,  1926    134,822.90 

Cash  paid  on  above  to  April  30,  1926 12,623.94 

Subscriptions  outstanding,  May  1,  1926  .   $122,198.96 

Camfaign  In  Church  Outside  of  North  Carolina. 
Subscriptions  outstanding  May  1,  1925  .  .  $49,936.17 
New  subscriptions,  May  1,  '25  to  Apr.  30, 

'26    15,901.68 

Total  to  May  1,  1926   65,837.85 

Cash  paid  on  above  to  Apr.  30,  1926 25,105.51 

Subscriptions  outstanding  May  1,  1926  .       $40,732.34 

Salisbury  Campaign. 
Subscriptions  outstanding  May  1,  1925  .  .    $151,643.50 
Paid  on  above  to  Apr.  30,  1926   17,255.29 

Subscriptions  outstanding  May  1,  1926  .  .    $134,388.21 

W.  M.  S.  and  G.  M.  G.  Fund. 

W.  M.  S.  Subscription   $25,000.00 

G.  M.  G.  Subscription   3,100.00 

Total  subscribed 28,100.00 

Paid  to  Apr.  30,  1926  by  W.  M.  S. 

$13,400 


296  Catawba  College 

Paid  to  Apr.  30,  1926  by  G.  M.  G. 


3,100       16,500.00 


Balance  May  1,  1926 $11,600.00 

Additional  Endowment  and  Subscriptions  to 
April  30,  1926. 

North  Carolina  Classis $50,000.00 

W.  M.  S.  and  G.  M.  G 28,100.00 

N.  C.   Classis  Campaign    1,650.00 

Outside  of  North  Carolina   15,901.68 

Kauffman  English  Literature  Alcove  En- 
dowment      442.30 

Forward  Movement    9,073.80 

Total    $105,167.78 

Masonic  Loan  Fund. 

Gift  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity  .    $750.00 

Interest  to  April  20,  1926 22.50         $772.50 

Loan  to  student 100.00 

Balance,  May  1,  1926 $672.50 

Statement  as  of  May  1,  1926. 

G.  G.  Solliday  Endowment   $  20,000.00 

General  Endowment 17,000.00 

Alumni  Endowment   13,689.00 

Rebecca  Solliday  Church  Bldg.  Fund 6,148.10 

Emanuel  Pontius  Home  Bldg.  Fund   ....  981.08 

Library   Endowment    1,620.12 

Forward   Movement    82,977.67 

Building  and  Endowment  Subscriptions  .  230,452.84 


The  First  Year  of  Catawba  College       297 

Endowment   Subscriptions    136,372.00 

Gifts  and  Accumulations   190,807.74 

Classis  of  N.  C.  Note   50,000.00 

W.  M.  S.  and  G.  M.  G.  Fund 28,100:00 

John   R.  Kauffman    Alcove    of    Eng.  Lit. 

Endow 442.30 

Masonic  Loan  Fund   672.50 

Bills  Payable    60,000.00 


$839,263.35 
Invested  as  follows : 

Home  Mission  Board  Notes $  20,000.00 

Real  Estate  Mortgages 39,422.30 

Salisbury,   Administration   Building    ....  231,328.14 

Zartman  Hall 46,059.44 

Grounds    28,251.30 

Water  and  Sewer  Systems   2,756.99 

Books,  Equipment  and  Furniture   43,221.13 

R.  Solliday  Ch.  Bldg.  Fund  Note 900.00 

Bonds    1,000.00 

College  Bldg.  and  22  lots,  Newton 23,533.74 

Subscriptions,  Campaign  outside  of  N.  C.  40,732.34 

Subscriptions,  Salisbury  Campaign 134,388.21 

Subscriptions,  North  Carolina  Classis  ....  122,198.96 

A.  R.  Brodbeck  Stock  and  Contract 4,000.00 

Classis  of  N.  C.  Note 50,000.00 

W.  M.  S.  Fund,  Outstanding 11,600.00 

Gymnasium,   Excavation    480.00 

Certificate  of  Deposit,  Masonic  Loan  Fund  672.50 

Cash  on  hand 35,242.46 

DEFICIT    3,475.84 


$839,263.35 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future. 

THE  RESOURCES  of  the  College,  including  a 
conservative  evaluation  of  its  property,  build- 
ings, grounds,  and  equipment,  together  with  its 
endowment  funds,  which  include  bona  fide  subscrip- 
tions, are  approximately  nine  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars. The  campaign  for  increased  endowment  is  still 
going  on.  The  Synod  of  the  Potomac  has  given  the 
College  an  annual  appropriation  equivalent  to  the  in- 
come from  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  A  large 
portion  of  the  subscriptions  on  hand  are  interest  bear- 
ing. The  College  looks  forward  with  much  confidence 
to  the  future,  in  the  belief  that  it  will  enjoy  an  income 
adequate  for  the  maintenance  of  its  work  as  a  stand- 
ard, accredited  institution. 

One  of  the  most  epoch-making  events  in  the  history 
of  the  college  was  the  action  of  the  General  Synod  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States,  meeting  in 
Philadelphia  in  1926,  whereby  the  Board  of  Home  Mis- 
sions was  instructed  to  include  in  its  budget  $20,000 
annually  for  the  ensuing  triennium  for  Catawba  Col- 
lege. This  is  probably  the  first  time  in  the  history  of 
the  denomination  that  General  Synod  has  included  an 
educational  institution  in  its  budget.  By  this  action 
the  Reformed  Church  clearly  shows  its  determination 
to  stand  back  of  Catawba  College,  and  to  give  it  the 

(298) 


(299) 


Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future  301 

support  necessary  for  conducting  its  work  as  an  ac- 
credited institution.  The  church  recognizes  her  need 
of  this  institution  as  an  instrument  through  which 
she  may  do  her  part  in  the  work  of  the  whole  church 
of  building  up  the  kingdom  by  educational  means.  The 
leaders  of  the  movement  which  resulted  in  giving  the 
college  this  support  were:  Elders,  J.  T.  Hedrick,  Em- 
ory L.  Coblentz  and  A.  R.  Brodbeck,  three  men  who  had 
already  done  their  part  by  making  liberal  subscrip- 
tions to  the  Endowment  Fund  of  the  college. 

Accreditation. 

Catawba  College  reopened  in  September,  1925,  in 
new  buildings  and  in  a  new  location  at  Salisbury. 
No  rating  could  be  given  or  expected  until  the  College 
should  have  had  time  and  opportunity  to  prove  the 
worth  of  its  work,  the  quality  and  completeness  of  its 
equipment,  and  the  standard  character  of  its  organiza- 
tion and  administration.  After  the  work  of  the  Col- 
lege was  under  way  for  a  few  months,  the  North  Caro- 
lina Conference  of  Colleges  was  invited  to  send  a  com- 
mittee to  inspect  the  College.  The  report  of  this  Com- 
mittee contained  the  following  recommendations, 
which  were  approved  by  the  Commission : 

1.  That  students  be  given  credit  hour  for  hour 
for  the  work  of  the  Freshman  and  Sophomore 
classes  in  the  session  of  1925-26. 

2.  That  students  be  given  credit  hour  for  hour 
for  the  work  of  the  Junior  and  Senior  years  also, 
for  the  session  of  1926-27,  provided  that  further  in- 
spection of  the  college  shows  that  the  requirements 
for  standard  collegiate  rating  are  being  met. 


302  Catawba  College 

In  December,  1926,  this  rating  was  made  perma- 
nent and  unconditional. 

Parents  and  students  need  entertain  no  doubt  about 
receiving  proper  credits  and  recognition  for  work  done 
in  Catawba  College.  The  college  is  rapidly  improving 
its  equipment  and  enlarging  its  faculty.  Students  who 
come  to  Catawba  may  be  well  assured  that  their  work 
will  be  accepted  elsewhere  and  that  they  will  have  an 
Alma  Mater  of  which  they  will  be  increasingly  proud. 

Location. 

The  location  of  the  college  at  Salisbury  is  considered 
particularly  fortunate.  No  point  in  the  State  of  North 
Carolina  is  more  centrally  located  with  reference  to 
the  constituency  of  the  Reformed  Church.  Salisbury 
is  a  community  of  approximately  25,000  population, 
and  is  a  prosperous  and  rapidly  growing  town.  Gov- 
ernmental authorities  certify  that  there  are  more  peo- 
ple living  within  fifty  miles  of  Salisbury  than  within 
that  distance  of  any  other  point  in  the  State.  The  splen- 
did character  of  the  citizenship  was  evinced  when  the 
community  successfully  completed  a  campaign  in  which 
over  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  were  sub- 
scribed for  Catawba's  endowment  fund.  Probably  no- 
where else  in  the  State  is  there  a  stronger  demand  or 
a  greater  need  for  a  college. 

Salisbury  is  the  junction  point  of  the  main  lines  of 
the  Southern  Railroad  and  one  of  its  principal 
branches,  which  runs  west  through  Asheville.  It  is, 
furthermore,  the  center  of  a  well-developed  system  of 
bus-transportation  and  is  therefore  easily  accessible 
from  everv  direction.     Students  from  the  north  will 


Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future  303 

find   excellent  accommodations   on   the  trains   of  the 
Southern  Railroad. 

Salisbury  is  located  in  the  heart  of  the  famous  Pied- 
mont section,  surrounded  by  rich  farming  lands,  as 
well  as  a  rapidly  advancing  industrial  development. 
The  climate  is  healthful,  North  Carolina  having  the 
lowest  death  rate  of  all  the  States  in  the  Union. 

Buildings  and  Grounds. 

Catawba  College  has  a  well-located  campus  of  fifty- 
one  acres,  just  within  the  city  limits  of  Salisbury.  A 
beautiful  new  boulevard,  just  completed,  runs  direct 
from  the  college  to  center  square,  a  distance  of  one 
and  one-half  miles. 

The  large  Administration  Building,  now  being  oc- 
cupied for  the  first  time,  is  nearly  300  feet  in  length. 
The  central  section  is  120  feet  in  depth.  This  build- 
ing provides  one  million  cubic  feet  of  space,  and  is 
admirably  planned  to  provide  almost  a  complete  col- 
lege plant  under  one  roof.  The  structure  is  three 
stories,  built  of  brick  and  granite,  in  the  Tudor  Gothic 
style.  Its  tower,  dominating  the  country  for  miles 
around,  is  destined  to  occupy  a  central  place  in  college 
sentiment  and  tradition,  and  in  the  hearts  of  the 
alumni. 

Included  in  the  Main  Hall  are  the  following : 
In  the  central  section : 
Administrative   offices. 
Library  rooms. 
Apartments  for  Professors. 

Chapel   seating   600,   with   modern   facilities   for 
dramatics. 


304  Catawba  College 

Dining  hall. 

Kitchen  rooms. 

Heating  plant. 

Laundry. 
In  the  two  sections  to  the  left : 

Dormitory  and  social  rooms  for  108  boys. 
In  the  two  sections  to  the  right : 

Ten  standard  class  rooms. 

Book  store  and  post  office. 

Library,  reading  room,  and  stack  room. 

Physics  laboratory  and  lecture  room. 

Chemical    laboratories,    lecture  room,    office    and 
stock  room. 

Biological  laboratory,    lecture    room,    office    and 
stock  room. 

Zartman  Hall. 

The  College  is  fortunate  in  its  dormitory  for  women. 
This  building  has  been  named  by  the  Woman's  Mission- 
ary Society  of  General  Synod  of  the  Reformed  Church 
in  the  United  States  in  honor  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Conrad 
Zartman  and  in  recognition  of  her  services  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  work  of  the  Society.  For  the  erec- 
tion of  this  hall  the  Woman's  Missionary  Society  and 
its  Girls'  Guild  have  pledged  the  sum  of  $46,205  to 
cover  the  full  cost  of  the  building. 

This  building  is  of  the  same  materials  and  in  the 
same  architectural  style  as  the  Administration  Build- 
ing. It  provides  accomodations  for  sixty-four  girls, 
and  every  room  has  two  closets  and  a  bathroom  ad- 
joining. The  rooms  are  similar — all  provided  with 
two  windows,  and  all  well  furnished.     The  heating, 


(305) 


Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future  307 

plumbing,  hot-water,  and  electrical  equipment  are  of 
the  best.  The  building  has  only  two  floors.  It  was 
deemed  inadvisable  to  require  girls  to  climb  to  third 
and  fourth  floor  rooms.  Furthermore,  the  fire  hazards 
are  reduced  practically  to  zero  in  a  building  of  this 
type,  with  fireproof  stairways  at  either  end.  Each 
floor  has  a  large,  cheerful,  and  centrally  located  social 
hall,  with  large  fireplace,  piano,  and  attractive  fur- 
nishings. These  rooms,  and  the  comforts  of  Zartman 
Hall,  make  a  large  contribution  to  the  joys  of  college 
life. 

While  General  Synod  was  meeting  in  Philadelphia,  in 
May,  1926,  the  Woman's  Missionary  Society  of  Gen- 
eral Synod  was  meeting  in  another  church  in  the  same 
city.  Rev.  Shuford  Peeler  appeared  before  the  society 
with  a  petition  that  the  society  should  appropriate  an 
additional  sum  of  $18,105  which  would  be  sufficient, 
with  sums  previously  appropriated,  to  cover  the  en- 
tire cost  of  the  Girls'  Dormitory,  known  as  the  Eliza- 
beth Conrad  Zartman  Hall,  $46,205.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Peeler's  petition  received  the  hearty  support  of  all 
the  women  of  the  society  with  the  result  that  Zartman 
Hall  comes  to  Catawba  College  without  a  cent  of  cost: — 
the  magnificent  gift  of  the  Woman's  Missionary  So- 
ciety to  the  College. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  work  of  building  a  new 
college  at  Salisbury  the  Trustees  realized  that  it  would 
be  absolutely  necessary  for  the  college  to  have  a  mod- 
ern gymnasium,  in  order  that  it  might  successfully 
serve  the  needs  of  the  modern  age  and  make  a  proper 
appeal  to  public  interest.  Accordingly,  at  the  earliest 
possible  moment  the  Trustees  approved  the  building 


308  Catawba  College 

of  the  gymnasium,  which  was  ready  for  use  in  Septem- 
ber, 1926.  This  building  is  a  substantial  modern 
structure.  In  its  construction  a  steel  frame  was  used, 
the  walls  being  filled  in  with  brick  and  granite.  The 
gymnasium  is  unusual  for  its  size.  The  playing  floor 
is  nearly  seven  thousand  square  feet  in  area  and  an 
equal  amount  of  space  is  devoted  to  offices,  shower  and 
locker  rooms,  toilet  rooms,  and  dormitory  for  visit- 
ing teams.  Visitors  have  pronounced  the  building  one 
of  the  best  they  have  ever  seen.  The  total  cost  in- 
cluding equipment  was  less  than  $35,000. 

In  the  spring  of  1926,  the  president  of  the  college 
informed  the  Board  of  Trustees  in  the  February  meet- 
ing that  the  rooms  he  was  occupying  in  the  Adminis- 
tration Building  would  be  needed  by  the  following 
September  for  professors'  apartments.  The  Board, 
therefore,  approved  plans  prepared  and  presented  by 
the  president  for  the  building  of  a  house  for  his  resi- 
dence. Construction  was  soon  begun  and  before  the 
opening  of  college  in  September  the  president's  fam- 
ily was  comfortably  settled  in  the  new  residence.  The 
cost  of  the  house  was  $7,000.  It  is  planned  as  an  ideal 
house  for  a  professor.  The  Board  of  Trustees  ex- 
pressed their  intention  to  build  a  larger  house  for  the 
use  of  the  president  after  a  few  years.  This  first 
house  is  built  of  the  same  materials  and  in  similar 
style  with  the  other  college  buildings.  It  contains  six 
rooms,  besides  reception  hall,  bath,  vegetable  room, 
laundry,  and  heating  room. 

On  December  14  the  Board  of  Trustees  met  in  spe- 
cial session  at  the  request  of  the  president  of  the  col- 
lege to  consider  his  report  to  the  effect  that  for  the 


o 


(309) 


Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future  311 

satisfactory  conduct  of  the  work  of  the  college  for  the 
academic  year  1927-28,  it  would  be  necessary  to  con- 
struct a  fifth  building,  namely  the  Home  Economics 
Building,  and  also  to  build  a  new  athletic  field  and 
track.  The  estimated  cost  of  these  projects  was  $30,- 
000.  The  Board  approved  the  recommendations  and 
referred  them  to  the  Building  and  Finance  Commit- 
tees, for  execution,  if  possible.  On  January  14,  these 
committees  met  in  joint  session  and  it  was  decided  to 
carry  out  these  two  projects.  Accordingly,  when  the 
college  opens  in  September,  1927,  it  is  expected  that 
the  Home  Economics  Building  and  the  athletic  field 
will  be  ready  for  use. 

This  new  building  will  be  of  the  same  materials  and 
in  the  same  Tudor  Gothic  style  as  the  other  buildings. 
The  first  floor  will  provide  the  facilities  needed  for 
the  work  of  the  department,  lecture  room,  laboratories, 
office,  model  dining  room,  storage  room,  and  a  room 
for  child  care  and  training.  The  second  floor  will  pro- 
vide dormitory  rooms  with  private  bath  rooms  and  liv- 
ing room  for  sixteen  girls.  The  purpose  is  to  have 
seniors  in  Home  Economics  live  in  this  building  so  that 
they  may  be  the  more  directly  under  the  supervision  of 
the  department,  especially  in  the  matter  of  the  care 
of  their  rooms. 

The  Athletic  Field  will  be  of  standard  size  and 
construction,  with  a  quarter  mile  cinder  track,  and 
with  the  usual  fields  for  football,  baseball,  and  other 
sports.  This,  together  with  five  tennis  courts,  and  the 
modern  gymnasium,  provide  the  equipment  for  a  thor- 
oughgoing program  of  physical  education  and  games 
for  both  men  and  women.    The  field  will  be  located  in 


312  Catawba  College 

the  natural  bowl  to  the  rear  of  the  college  group  of 
buildings. 

EQUIPMENT   FOR  INSTRUCTION. 
Scientific  Laboratories. 

The  scientific  laboratories  occupy  the  second  and 
third  floors  of  the  north  wing  of  the  building.  The 
rooms  are  large,  well-lighted,  and  furnished  with  gas, 
hot  and  cold  water,  and  electric  current. 

The  biological  laboratories  on  the  third  floor  of  the 
north  wing  of  the  buildings  are  unusually  well-lighted 
by  the  double  windows.  These  laboratories  are  fur- 
nished with  an  aquarium,  lockers,  compound  micro- 
scopes, and  all  other  equipment  necessary  for  giving 
the  courses  offered. 

The  chemical  laboratories  include  a  large  general 
laboratory  furnished  with  equipment  for  courses  in 
general  chemistry,  and  an  analytical  laboratory  for 
courses  in  organic  chemistry  and  analytical  chemistry. 
In  connection  is  a  lecture  room,  office,  stock  room,  and 
small  laboratory  for  the  professor  in  charge. 

The  physics  laboratory  on  the  third  floor  is  ade- 
quately equipped  for  college  courses  in  general  physics. 
In  connection  with  the  laboratory  is  a  lecture  room 
with  demonstration  table  and  apparatus. 

Library. 

The  library  is  large,  well-lighted,  and  occupies  the 
entire  north  end  of  the  first  floor  of  the  main  building. 
As  it  is  a  depository  of  the  federal  government,  it  al- 
ready contains  about  eight  thousand  documents  and 


(313) 


Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future  315 

several  hundred  pamphlets,  which  are  arranged  on 
stacks  in  an  adjoining  room.  In  addition  to  the  lead- 
ing periodicals  and  newspapers,  the  library  has  on  its 
open  shelves  approximately  10,000  well-selected  vol- 
umes, including  the  best  yearbooks,  dictionaries  and 
encyclopedias.  The  library  has  this  year  acquired 
nearly  1,000  volumes.  The  appropriation  next  year 
for  new  books  will  be  about  $1,100. 

Income. 

The  income  of  the  college,  over  and  above  that  re- 
ceived from  fees  of  the  students,  is  derived  from  en- 
dowment funds,  from  grants  from  the  church  bodies, 
the  Classis  of  North  Carolina,  and  the  Synod  of  the 
Potomac,  the  General  Synod,  and  from  the  interest 
paid  by  subscribers  on  a  large  part  of  the  pledges  se- 
cured for  the  endowment  fund.  The  endowment  is 
growing  so  rapidly  that  the  income  of  the  college  is 
fast  approaching  that  which  would  be  received  from 
an  endowment  of  five  hundred  thousand  dollars,  which 
is  regarded  as  the  standard  for  an  accredited  college. 

Collegiate  Activities. 

The  officers  of  the  college  believe  that  all  the  usual 
collegiate  activities  are  necessary  to  a  complete  and 
well-rounded  education.  The  spirit  of  administration, 
therefore,  is  not  one  of  repression,  but  of  encourage- 
ment, with  a  view  to  making  each  activity  contribute 
its  utmost  toward  the  growth  of  healthy  bodies, 
scholarly  minds,  sturdy  characters,  and  a  real  re- 
ligious experience. 


316  Catawba  College 

The  social  activities  of  the  college  are  under  the  su- 
pervision of  the  faculty,  and  every  effort  is  made  to 
provide  a  natural  and  wholesome  social  life.  Living 
conditions  in  the  dormitories  are  made  as  home-like 
as  possible.  The  most  cordial  and  sympathetic  rela- 
tions obtain  between  the  students  and  the  members  of 
the  faculty. 

Athletics.  Intercollegiate  contests  are  encour- 
aged as  they  assist  in  the  complete  development  of  the 
individual  through  a  rigorous  discipline  and  the  effec- 
tive stimulation  of  college  spirit.  By  virtue  of  the 
number  of  students  at  Catawba,  a  relatively  large  por- 
tion are  able  to  participate  in  various  collegiate  sports. 
Although  athletic  activities  are  given  their  rightful 
place,  they  are  not  permitted  to  interfere  with  intel- 
lectual pursuits.  Strict  rules  for  eligibility  are  ob- 
served. 

The  Athletic  Association  has  charge  of  all  inter- 
collegiate contests.  The  sum  of  ten  dollars  from  the 
fees  paid  by  each  student  is  used  by  the  Association 
for  the  support  of  Athletics.  The  payment  of  this 
fee  entitles  all  students  to  free  admission  to  games. 

Fraternities.  By  action  of  the  Trustees,  fraterni- 
ties are  not  permitted  at  Catawba  College. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.— Y.  W.  C.  A.  The  Young  Men's  and 
Young  Women's  Christian  Associations  are  maintained 
for  the  development  of  the  religious  life  of  the  stu- 
dents. The  meetings  are  held  weekly  and  are  usually 
addressed  by  members  of  the  faculty,  ministers,  and 
laymen.  The  programs  are  of  such  nature  as  to  give 
inspiration  to  the  distinctively  religious  and  mission- 
ary impulse.     A  representative  from  these  organiza- 


(317) 


Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future  319 

tions  attends  the  annual  conventions  of  the  State  or- 
ganizations. The  annual  reception  to  new  students, 
occasional  open  programs,  and  public  entertainments 
come  within  the  work  of  these  organizations.  All  stu- 
dents become  members  upon  their  own  choice. 

Literary  Societies.  Catawba  College  has  two  lit- 
erary societies,  the  Philomathean  and  the  Athenaean, 
with  one  of  which  all  students,  unless  excused,  are  re- 
quired to  associate  themselves.  These  societies  are 
governed  by  constitutions  and  by-laws  of  their  own  se- 
lection, and  devote  their  weekly  meetings  to  exercises 
in  music,  essays,  declamation,  oratory  and  debate.  For 
proficiency  in  oratory  and  debate  annual  awards,  in  the 
form  of  medals,  are  made. 

Since  the  ability  to  express  thought  clearly  and  co- 
gently constitutes  a  high  test  of  knowledge,  the  chief 
end  of  these  societies  is  to  develop  public  speaking.  To 
help  the  student  obtain  grace,  ease,  and  fluency  in  the 
presence  of  an  audience,  the  societies  have  arranged 
for  occasional  public  meetings. 

The  Blue  Masque.  The  college  dramatic  society  is 
known  as  the  Blue  Masque.  The  aim  of  the  society  is 
threefold :  to  enable  students  to  select  and  produce 
plays,  to  familiarize  them  with  modern  dramatists  and 
their  important  works,  and  to  train  them  for  public 
performances.  At  each  monthly  meeting  a  one-act 
play,  directed  by  a  student  under  the  supervision  of 
a  competent  coach,  is  produced.  Two  public  perform- 
ances are  given  each  year  under  the  direction  of  a 
professional  coach. 

Glee  Club  and  Choir.  The  glee  club  and  chapel 
choir  afford  excellent  opportunity  for  drill  in  ensemble 


320  Catawba  College 

work.  The  members  are  chosen  from  the  students,  and 
the  conditions  of  membership  are :  a  fairly  good  voice, 
a  correct  ear,  some  knowledge  of  musical  notation,  and 
regularity  in  attendance.    Rehearsals  are  held  weekly. 

Ministerial  Band.  This  is  an  organization  of  young 
men  who  have  chosen  the  ministry  as  their  life  work. 
In  the  weekly  meetings,  some  phase  of  their  plan  for 
life  is  discussed.  Some  minister  from  town  occasion- 
ally addresses  the  organization. 

Alumni  Association.  The  Alumni  Association  is 
composed  of  all  graduates  of  the  College  and  those 
elected  to  honorary  membership.  The  annual  meeting 
is  held  on  Commencement  Day  at  3  P.  M.,  following  the 
Alumni  luncheon  in  the  college  dining  hall  at  1  P.  M. 
The  Association  provides  the  speaker  for  the  annual 
address  on  the  evening  preceding  Commencement  Day. 

Publications.  During  the  academic  year  1926-27, 
two  publications  were  initiated  by  the  students,  a  bi- 
weekly paper,  the  "Pioneer,"  and  the  annual,  for  which 
the  name  "Swastika"  was  adopted. 

Requirements  for  Admission. 

Students  may  be  admitted  to  Freshman  standing  in 
Catawba  College  on  the  following  plans: 

I.  Admission  by  Certificate.  The  following  classes 
of  candidates  are  admitted  to  Freshman  standing  on 
presentation  of  certificates  signed  by  the  proper  au- 
thorities showing  the  kind  and  amount  of  work  done: 

1.  Graduates  from  any  four-year  high  school  course 
approved  by  the  State  Department  of  Education. 

2.  Graduates  from  any  four-year  course  of  a  school 
accredited  by  the  Association  of  Colleges  and  Second- 


(321) 


Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future  323 

ary  Schools  of  the  Southern  States,  or  by  the  State 
University  of  the  state  in  which  the  school  is  located. 

Such  certificates  must  represent  a  total  of  at  least 
15  units  of  work  and  must  meet  the  requirements  out- 
lined in  the  Table  of  Requirements  for  Admission. 

A  unit  represents  the  work  of  a  school  year  of  no 
less  than  thirty-six  weeks,  with  five  periods  of  at  least 
forty-five  minutes  each  per  week,  or  four  periods  of  one 
hour  each  per  week.  A  unit,  therefore,  is  the  equivalent 
of  one  hundred  and  eighty  recitation  periods  of  forty- 
five  minutes  each,  or  one  hundred  and  forty-four 
periods  of  one  hour  each. 

Blank  entrance-credit  certificates  will  be  furnished 
upon  application  to  the  Registrar. 

II.  Admission  by  Examination.  Candidates  not 
presenting  approved  certificates  may  be  admitted  upon 
examination.  Examinations  will  be  given  upon  the 
work  covered  by  the  approved  list  of  secondary  sub- 
jects. Candidates  for  admission  by  examination  must 
meet  the  same  specific  requirements  as  those  for  ad- 
mission by  certificate. 

The  enrollment  of  the  college  during  its  second  year 
at  Salisbury  was  244.  The  faculty  in  charge  was  of 
such  strength  as  to  have  attracted  attention  in  other 
states.  The  general  impression  of  the  public  and  of  ed- 
ucators is  that  the  college  is  doing  a  very  high  type  of 
work.  The  financial  condition  of  the  institution  is 
good  and  everyone  connected  with  it  is  enthusiastic 
over  its  prospects. 

The  Trustees  in  their  regular  meeting,  February  15, 
1927,  adopted  a  Budget  which  marks  a  new  epoch  in  Ca- 
tawba's history.     It  is  based  upon  an  estimated  stu- 


324  Catawba  College 

dent  body  of  325  for  the  year  1927-28.  This  Budget 
provides  for  a  gross  income  of  $121,000,  of  which  the 
largest  expenditure  will  be  $63,000  for  salaries  and 
wages.  Five  new  professors  were  elected  in  addition 
to  the  reelection  of  all  those  already  connected  with 
the  college.  The  new  professors  elected  have  the  same 
qualifications  as  those  previously  elected :  most  of  them 
hold  the  Ph.  D  degree  and  have  proved  themselves  suc- 
cessful teachers.  The  Trustees  adopted  a  rule  that 
when  a  professor  shall  have  been  elected  for  the  third 
year,  there  shall  be  recognized  a  presumption  of  per- 
manent tenure.  In  building  the  hew  college  the  Trus- 
tees have  adopted  the  policy  of  seeking  the  strongest 
and  most  permanent  faculty  that  can  be  secured. 

The  Trustees  approved  a  plan  for  conducting  a  Sum- 
mer School  at  the  College.  Dr.  George  Howard  was 
elected  Director,  and  has  completed  plans  for  a  school 
during  the  summer  of  1927. 

Catawba  College  has  had  her  share  of  troubles  and 
ciisappointments.  The  building  of  colleges  in  this 
country  has  almost  universally  been  fraught  with  a 
great  deal  of  difficulty  and  hardship.  However,  otaer 
colleges  which  once  ranked  with  Catawba,  and  in  many 
cases  those  which  were  even  weaker,  or  even  founded 
much  later,  succeeded  in  making  more  rapid  progress, 
especially  since  1900,  so  that  when  the  standards  for 
the  accrediting  of  colleges  were  formulated,  they  suc- 
ceeded much  earlier  in  winning  recognition  as  A-grade 
institutions.  The  question  may  therefore  be  asked, 
with  fairness :  why  has  Catawba's  path  been  blocked 
by  difficulties  and  obstacles,  ofttimes  so  great  as  to 
appear  actually  insurmountable? 


(325) 


Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future  327 

This  question  is  more  easily  asked  than  answered. 
We  venture  to  assert  that  the  men  who  labored  for 
Catawba  College,  in  every  period  of  her  history,  and  in 
every  department  of  her  life,  were  in  piety,  in  learn- 
ing, in  sincerity,  in  tactfulness,  and  in  the  willingness 
to  labor  and  to  spend  and  be  spent  for  the  institution 
they  loved  the  equals  of  those  who  built  up  other 
institutions.  Surely  the  historian  who  would  escape  the 
charge  of  superficiality  must  look  deeper  for  the  under- 
lying causes  of  these  trials.  We  may  without  fear 
throw  out  the  challenge  to  any  and  all  parties  to  point 
out  a  single  institution  in  which  men,  however  great, 
were  enabled  to  accomplish  a  greater  work  for  Church 
and  State  than  was  accomplished  by  Catawba  College, 
with  RESOURCES,  SUPPORT  AND  CONSTITU- 
ENCY equal  to  Catawba's. 

The  writer  does  not  know  where  to  look  for  a  col- 
lege that  has  been  able  to  survive  at  all,  and  hold  a 
place  as  a  standard  college  with  so  small  a  constitu- 
ency. The  marvel  is  not  that  the  men  of  Catawba  ac- 
complished no  more,  but  rather  that  they  were  able 
to  keep  the  institution  alive  at  all,  especially  during 
the  trying  times  of  the  last  quarter  century.  Surely 
Catawba  has  a  proud  history.  This  early  foundation 
went  on,  through  the  Civil  War  days,  continuing  her 
service  of  education  when  the  public  schools  of  the 
state  and  the  south  broke  down  completely.  For  sev- 
enty years  she  "carried  on,"  doing  a  noble  work 
on  the  pittance  of  support  that  her  small  but  loyal  con- 
stituency was  able  to  give  her. 

Were  we  to  explain  the  trials  of  Catawba's  history 
then  we  would  do  so  solely  on  the  ground  of  the  small- 


328  Catawba  College 

ness  of  her  constituency  in  the  local  community,  in  the 
denomination,  and  in  the  body  of  alumni. 

We  would  point  out  first  of  all  that  the  college  began 
her  work  in  1851  in  a  small  urban  community  or  town 
of  500  people.  A  great  start  was  made  for  those  days, 
but  the  devastation  of  war  came  upon  this  young  in- 
stitution and  swept  away  much  of  its  strength.  After 
the  war  everything  in  the  South  revived  slowly.  It  was 
not  until  about  the  year  1885  that  the  institution  really 
began  to  do  college  grade  work  again,  and  it  was  not 
until  the  year  1889  when  the  first  class  was  graduated. 
At  that  time  the  town  of  Newton  had  a  population  of 
about  1200.  When  the  college  finally  closed  at  Newton 
the  town  had  a  population  of  3000.  The  history  of  col- 
leges shows,  with  only  enough  exceptions  to  prove  the 
rule,  that  institutions  located  in  large  centers  of  popu- 
lation have  been  able  to  thrive  and  gather  increasing 
strength  with  the  years.  The  experience  of  Catawba  in 
its  new  location  at  Salisbury  is  but  another  instance  of 
this  law  of  college  growth. 

In  the  second  place,  the  critic  should  remember  that 
the  Reformed  Church  in  North  Carolina  had  only  about 
1200  members  when  the  college  was  founded,  and  that 
at  the  present  time  the  membership  of  this  denomi- 
nation in  the  State  is  only  7700.  It  is  also  true  that, 
prior  to  1923,  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United 
States,  outside  of  North  Carolina,  has  never  been  in 
a  position  to  invest  any  large  amount  of  money  or  even 
of  men  or  interest  in  this  institution.  There  were  al- 
ways a  few  loyal  friends  in  the  Church  in  the  North, 
but  there  was  never  an  opportunity  for  a  systematic 
effort  to   secure  for  the  college  the  needed   support 


Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future  329 

from  the  denomination  at  large.  Always  the  burden 
has  fallen  for  the  most  part  upon  the  devoted  shoulders 
of  the  loyal  but  weak  constituency  of  the  old  North 
State.  Even  this  constituency  is  only  now  beginning 
to  be  so  prosperous  as  to  be  able  to  do  large  things  for 
the  college.  We  doubt  not  but  that  in  the  years  ahead 
the  friends  of  the  College  in  this  State  will  do  splen- 
did things  for  the  college,  by  gifts  and  legacies,  accord- 
ing as  God  has  prospered  them. 

The  question  may  be  asked,  and  has  been  asked, 
Should  not  the  Church  abandon  a  college  whose  con- 
stituency is  so  small?  The  reply  is  equally  obvious. 
To  do  so  is  to  abandon  its  own  life  in  this  State.  The 
Reformed  Church  in  North  Carolina  is  a  healthy  and 
growing  arm  of  the  denomination.  Weak  as  are  our 
numbers,  the  State  nevertheless  ranks  fifth  in  the  num- 
ber of  communicant  members  of  the  Reformed  Church. 
With  equal  logic  might  the  Church  abandon  her  other 
interests  in  various  States,  save  only  Pennsylvania,  and 
perhaps  Ohio.  If  the  process  of  decay  is  to  be  allowed 
to  go  so  far,  what  reason  is  there  to  suppose  that  the 
process  will  not  continue  to  the  end.  But  the  denomi- 
nation is  full  of  life,  especially  in  North  Carolina,  and 
thinks  more  of  expanding  her  service  and  usefulness 
in  the  Kingdom  than  of  retrenching  and  withdrawing 
from  the  field.  Catawba  College  is  needed  at  Salisbury. 
There  is  not  an  outstanding  educator  of  the  State  who 
will  not  gladly  give  witness  to  that  fact.  Fortunately, 
the  events  of  the  last  three  or  four  years  have  made 
it  apparent  that  the  denomination,  with  the  help  of  a 
populous  and  loyal  community,  will  be  able  to  main- 
tain the  institution  as  one  of  the  best  in  the  State  and 
in  the  South. 


330  Catawba  College 

The  College  has  not  been  able  to  look  to  its  alumni 
for  any  large  measure  of  support,  as  college  needs  go. 
There  are  two  reasons  for  this.  Probably  few  colleges 
have  lived  through  seventy-five  years  with  so  small  a 
body  of  alumni.  The  usual  graduating  class  numbered 
approximately  three  members.  Only  in  a  very  few  in- 
stances were  classes  so  large  as  six,  eleven,  or  seven- 
teen. In  the  second  place,  most  of  the  men  who  have 
graduated  from  Catawba  College  have  entered  the  min- 
istry or  some  form  of  Church  work.  It  goes  without 
saying  that  no  college  can,  as  a  rule,  look  to  its  minis- 
terial alumni  for  large  sums  for  buildings  and  endow- 
ment. For  real  loyalty  and  willingness  to  endure  pri- 
vation for  the  love  of  Alma  Mater,  Catawba  will  not 
hesitate  to  measure  her  alumni  against  those  of  the 
proudest  institution  in  the  land. 

The  above  considerations,  drawn  from  the  facts  of 
Catawba's  history,  should  convince  all  friends  of  the 
institution  of  the  wisdom  of  putting  all  personal  blame 
for  previous  shortcomings  away  once  and  for  all.  By 
the  circumstances  of  her  life,  Catawba  has  been  called 
upon  to  endure  refinement  as  by  fire.  Let  her  friends 
hope  that  out  of  the  furnace  of  her  afflictions  may  come 
pure  and  fine  gold — an  institution  that  shall  continue 
to  hold  high  the  idealism  and  sacrificial  service  of  the 
Cross  of  Christ,  in  whose  service  and  for  whose  glory 
the  institution  was  first  conceived  and  founded  by 
those  great  and  godly  men,  seventy-five  years  ago.  If 
this  hope  may  be  realized,  then  surely  even  those  who 
gave  and  suffered  most  will  rejoice  with  a  joy  unsullied 
by  regrets. 


Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future  331 

It  is  probable  that  Catawba's  troubles  have  grown 
out  of  the  difficulties  of  a  transitional  period  in  the 
educational  advance  of  North  Carolina.  It  was  shortly 
before  the  year  1900  that  the  problems  of  the  college 
began  to  press  for  the  attention  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees. It  was  at  about  the  same  time  that  the  great  de- 
velopment in  public  education  began  in  North  Carolina. 
The  past  quarter  century  has  been  the  period  of  great- 
est stress  in  the  college,  but  also  the  period  of  greatest 
prosperity  and  progress  in  the  public  high  schools. 
These  two  facts  are  related.  While  the  College  began 
to  do  real  college  work  in  the  "eighties,"  it  nevertheless 
remained  true  that  the  great  majority  of  students  were 
always  of  sub-college  grade.  The  college  was  for  the 
most  part  a  secondary  school.  The  growth  of  the 
high  school  movement  made  it  more  and  more  difficult 
for  the  college  to  get  students.  Students  could  be  se- 
cured only  by  holding  out  inducements  in  the  form  of 
scholarships  and  low  rates.  The  extreme  lowness  of 
the  rates  robbed  the  college  of  the  income  it  needed 
and  should  have  had.  The  result  was  a  financial  situa- 
tion which  no  financial  genius  could  remedy  so  long 
as  the  fundamental  trouble  was  not  remedied.  In 
short,  the  high  schools  began  about  1900  to  take  away 
Catawba's  work,  and  it  was  not  until  the  year  1925 
that  she  found  herself  completely  in  her  new  and  bet- 
ter field.  This  transition  was  a  very  difficult  one,  and 
could  probably  not  have  been  made  earlier  with  suc- 
cess, owing  to  the  lack  of  a  sustaining  fund.  To  have 
abolished  the  Academy,  which  enrolled  two-thirds  of 
the  students,  would  have  been  a  heroic,  if  not  a  fool- 
hardy, step.     In  relocating  the  college,  this  step  was 


332  Catawba  College 

taken  without  anyone's  realization.  In  fact,  it  did  not 
occur  to  anyone  to  reopen  the  Academy.  It  just 
"dropped  out"  without  any  formal  action  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  to  that  effect. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Dr.  Clapp  and  Dr.  Foil 
foresaw  the  troubles  the  High  Schools  would  bring  up- 
on the  College  and  its  Academy.     Mrs.  Foil  says: 

"I  am  sure  that  Mr.  Foil  did  not  vote  for  the  tax 
establishing  the  public  High  School  and  I  do  not  think 
that  Dr.  Clapp  did.  They  felt  and  knew  that  it  would 
hurt  the  college  and  would  not  provide  an  adequate  sub- 
stitute. The  effect  on  our  Academic  department,  after 
the  High  School  was  started,  was  immediate.  I  moved 
away  several  years  later  and  considered  myself  for- 
tunate that  I  did  not  have  to  witness  the  gradual  de- 
terioration of  our  school." 

The  student  of  history  who  is  trying  to  understand 
the  trying  times  through  which  the  College  has  gone 
should  perhaps  give  attention  to  one  thing  more,  name- 
ly: the  psychology  of  success  and  failure.  When  a 
group  are  experiencing  success  in  their  common  proj- 
ect, they  are  apt  to  pat  each  other  on  the  back,  to 
trust  and  love  each  other,  to  overlook  shortcomings,  and 
see  only  good  in  each  other.  Such  is  the  psychology  of 
success.  The  psychology  of  failure  is  just  the  reverse. 
A  board  of  directors  of  any  bank  or  business  concern, 
which  found  themselves  drifting  toward  the  rocks  of 
financial  ruin,  would  be  apt  to  become  distrustful,  hy- 
percritical, impatient,  unkind,  sour,  unforgiving,  ex- 
pecting the  impossible,  and  seeing  all  manner  of  evil. 
"Nothing  succeeds  like  success"  and  nothing  fails  like 
failure.     From  1900  to  1923,  Catawba  was  being  car- 


Present  Status  and  Outlook  for  the  Future  333 

ried  on  irresistibly,  by  strong  underlying  causes,  into 
deeper  and  deeper  financial  stress.  Naturally,  her 
friends  could  not  work  together  with  the  joy  they 
might  have  had  in  a  more  prosperous  undertaking.  If 
men  were  sometimes  so  exhausted  with  the  worries  of 
their  difficult  trust  that  they  had  not  the  time  or  en- 
ergy left  for  such  manifestations  of  kindness  and  cour- 
tesy as  was  normal  to  them,  then  surely  we  must  say 
not  that  they  were  frail  men  but  rather  that  they  per- 
severed through  great  trials. 

In  short,  success  for  Catawha  College  during  this 
period  "was  not  in  the  wood."  No  group  of  men  could 
have  taken  the  places  of  those  able  and  loyal  Trustees, 
Presidents,  Professors,  Alumni  and  students,  and  have 
wrought  out  for  Catawba  College  what  was  not  possi- 
ble. There  were  reasons  why  it  could  not  be.  Those 
reasons  we  have  tried  to  point  out. 

The  Future. 

It  is  not  part  of  our  present  purpose  to  undertake 
any  prophecies  for  Catawba's  future.  The  college  is 
continually  gathering  strength,  and  it  is  becoming 
fairly  certain  that  the  institution  can  be  conducted  on 
a  high  plane  without  incurring  discouraging  annual 
deficits  which  sap  the  very  life-blood  of  any  college — 
the  endowment  fund.  Living  within  her  means,  the 
college  will  be  able  to  gather,  more  or  less  rapidly,  ad- 
ditions for  her  endowment,  until  such  strength  shall 
have  been  attained  as  to  make  her  life  secure.  The  his- 
tory of  colleges  indicates  that  this  process  is  cumula- 
tive. The  stronger  any  college  becomes,  the  more  rap- 
idly do  the  gifts  come.  Perhaps  Catawba's  day  has 
come    at    last.     Perhaps    we    are    up  to    or    beyond 


334  Catawba  College 

the  turning  point.  The  support  the  College  has  re- 
ceived from  the  community,  the  Church,  and  other 
sources  is  most  encouraging.  It  is  for  us  to  conduct 
her  work  in  such  a  way  as  to  deserve  the  generosity 
and  confidence  of  a  growing  constituency. 

One  trend  of  the  history  of  higher  education  will 
work  in  Catawba's  favor.  In  every  community  it  is 
more  and  more  becoming  the  practice  to  send  children 
to  a  convenient  college,  rather  than  to  cling  to  denomi- 
national ties  and  loyalties.  Everywhere  Christianity 
and  Christian  Education  are  beginning  to  be  accepted 
as  far  bigger  than  denominationalism.  So  it  is  that 
Catawba  College  now  draws  the  great  majority  of  her 
students  from  non-Reformed  homes.  The  same  is  true 
of  her  faculty.  The  life  of  the  College  is  Christian 
rather  than  denominational  merely,  valuable  as  denom- 
inationalism is.  This  fact  will  probably  mean  in  the  fu- 
ture that  a  college  like  Catawba  will  have  the  support 
of  the  community  it  serves  in  a  fuller  measure  than 
in  the  past.  The  greater  it  grows,  with  the  help  of 
such  support,  the  more  proud  will  its  denominational 
supporters  be  of  it,  and  the  greater  will  be  the  service 
it  can  render  its  denomination,  in  any  genuine  form  of 
Kingdom-building  activity. 

At  this  time  it  does  not  appear  probable  that  the 
college  will  ever,  at  least  for  so  long  a  time  as  our  vi- 
sion can  reach,  add  other  departments  such  as  profes- 
sional schools,  whether  theological  or  otherwise.  The 
future  usefulness  of  the  College  is  conceived  to  be  in 
the  field  of  liberal  education,  and  therewith  in  the 
development  of  Christian  character.  That  Catawba 
may  serve  greatly,  and  grow  great  only  as  a  means  to 
great  service,  is  the  fondest  hope  of  her  best  friends. 


APPENDIX  A. 

Graduates  of  the  College  at  Neivton 


1889 

M.  A.  Foil,  M.  D. 
J.  C.  Leonard,  D.  D.,  minister 
*J.  M.  L.  Lyerly,  Ph.  D.,  minister 

1891 

Crawford  Clapp,  bookkeeper 
J.  S.  Garrison,  minister 
J.  B.  Leonard,  bank  cashier 
*C.  A.  Starr,  Theological  student 

1892 

D.  P.  Bridges,  minister 
*C.  H.  Mebane,  lawyer,  journalist 
A.  C.  Sherriix,  teacher 

1893 

J.   D.  Andrew,  minister 

Clarence  Clapp,  druggist 

Mrs.  Helen  L.  Foil  Beard,  music  teacher 

1894 

J.  L.  Graham,  lawyer 

H.  A.  M.  Holshouser,  Ph.  D.,  minister 

W.  H.  McNairy,  minister 

1896 

*W.  B.  Dove,  Secretary  of  State 
H.  E.   Sechler,  minister 
Miss  Miriam  Foil,  stenographer 

1897 

*I.  S.  Leiby,  minister 
*R.  H.  Herman,  teacher 
Mrs.  Annie  Clapp  Burns 


Mt.  Pleasant,  N.  C. 
Lexington,  N.  C. 


Greenville,  S.  C. 

Harrisonburg,  Va. 

Newton,  N.  C. 


Ellerbee,  S.  C. 
Greensboro,  N.  C. 


Salisbury,   N.   C. 

Newton,  N,.  C. 

Charlotte,  N.  C. 


Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
Rockwell,  N.  C. 
Rockwell,  N.  C. 


South  Carolina 

Phoenix,  Ariz. 

Charlotte,  N.  C. 


Lawndale,  N.  C. 


'Deceased. 


(335) 


336 


Catawba  College 


1898 

J.  L.  Bowers,  minister 
Robert  E.  Clapp,  bookkeeper 

1899 
J.  W.  Barnhart,  Post-Office  Clerk 
S.  W.  Beck,  minister 
*D.  E.  Bowsers,  minister 
W.  H.  Bverhart,  M.  D. 
C.  W.  Warlick,  minister 

1900 
Paul  P.  Brown,  bank  clerk 
W.  H.  Causey,  minister 
Robert  T.  Cecil,  teacher 
J.  C.  Heavner,  minister 
G.  F.  Hinkle,  manufacturer 
Shuford  Peeler,  minister 
Mildred  Rowe,  teacher 
Lucy  Fry,  bookkeeper 

1902 
H.  E.  Rowe,  M.  D. 
Mrs.  Myrtle  Smyre  Rowe 
J.  H.  Joyner,  teacher 
Mrs.  Carrie  Deal  Michel 
*E.  B.  HutchixVs,  business 

1903 
W.  S.  Clapp,  minister 
J.  D.  Huggins,  minister 
Milton  Whitener,  minister 

1905 
Bretta  H.  Gray 

F.  W.  Gray,  minister 
Caroline  McNairy,  M.  D. 
L.  A.  Peeler,  minister 

G.  W.  Shipp,  M.  D. 

Mrs.  Annie  Lowrance  Moore 
Mrs.  Pearle  E.  Trexler  Smith 
Mrs.  Pattie  Cline  Troxler 


Woodleaf,  N.  C. 
Frederick,  Md. 


Concord,  N,  C. 
Blain,  Pa. 

Newton,  N.  C. 
Mt.  Pleasant,  N.  C 


Asheville,  N.  C. 

Harrisonburg,  Va. 

Spartanburg,  S.  C. 

Address  unknown 

Charlotte,  N.  C. 

Salisbury,  N.  C. 

Newton,  N.  C. 

Miami,  Fla 


Newton,  N.  C. 

Newton,  N.  C. 

Gibsonville,  N.  C. 

Newton,  N.  C. 


Collegeville,  Pa. 

Boiling  Springs,  N.  C. 

High  Point,  N.  C. 

Mooresville,  N.  C. 

Blakes  Mill,  W.  Va. 

Lenoir,  N.  C. 

Kannapolis,  N.  C. 

Newton,  N.  C. 

Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Salisbury,  N.  C. 

Greensboro,  N.  C. 


*Deceased. 


Graduates  of  the  College  at  Newton      337 


1906 
A.  A.  Keener,  teacher 
T.  W.  Wilson,  teacher 

1907 
Lillian  George,  teacher 
R.  H.  Rowe,  M.  D. 
C.  C.  Wagonee,  minister 
Clarence  Woods,  minister 

1908 
O.  A.  Barringer,  manufacturer 
W.  S.  Coulter,  lawyer 
W.  P.  Jarrett 
Mrs.  Mary  Heller  Jenkins 

1909 
*L.  A.  Linn,  manufacturer 
Mary    Schnebley,   teacher 

1910 

Mrs.  Maye  Lyerly  Coble 

Mrs.   Etna  Little  Palmer 

J.  A.  Palmer,  minister 

J.  M.  Peck,  minister 

A.  J.  Shaver 

W.  L.  Warlick,  lawyer 

Katherine  Whitener,  teacher 

1911 
Mrs.  Pauline  Phillips  Gaddy 
J.  R.  Kenyon,  lawyer 

1912 
Mrs.  Fannie  Clapp  Anderson 
Margaret  Crowell,  teacher 
Annie  Hildebrand,  teacher 
S.  J.  Kxrk,  minister 
*M.  L.  McCorkle,  M.  D. 
G.  E.  Plott,  minister 
Helen  Smith,  teacher 
Mary  White,  teacher 

1913 

N.  H.  Fravel,  minister 


Winston-Salem,  N.  C 
Raleigh,   N.   C. 


Elkin,  N.  C. 

Appalachia,  Va. 

Newton,  N.  C. 

Columbus,  Ohio 


Mt.  Pleasant,  N.  C 

Burlington,  N.  C. 

Address  unknown 

Salisbury,  N.  C. 


Hagerstown,   Md. 


Toledo,  O. 

Thomasville,  N.   C. 

Thomasville,  N.  C. 

Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Address  unknown 

Newton,  N.  C. 

Stanley,  N.  C. 


Durham,  N.  C. 
Charlotte,  N.  C. 


Mt.  Dora,  Fla. 

Concord,   N.   C. 

Newton,  N.  C. 

Riegelsville,  Pa. 

Greencastle,  Pa. 

Charlotte,  N.  C. 

Newton,  N„  C. 


Cressona,  Pa. 


^Deceased. 


338 


Catawba  College 


1914 
J.  F.  Carpextee,  manufacturer 
H.  A.  Fesperman,  minister 
J.  K.  McConnell,  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Sec. 
J.  C.  Peeler,  minister 

1915 
H.  F.  Ingle,  bank  clerk 
A.  R.  Tosh,  minister 

1916 
Mabel  L.  Bacon,  teacher 

F.  L.  Fesperman,  minister 
Pall  B.  Foil,  merchant 

G.  A.  Ingle,  minister 
J.  L.  Moose,  druggist 
A.  C.  Peeler,  minister 
E.  R.  Stewart,  minister 
S.  A.  Troxell,  minister 
G.  C.  Warlick,  merchant 
S.  W.  Whitener,  minister 

1917 
Mrs.  Dorothy  Ervin  Eaton 
Mrs.  Bessie  Herman  Haltewanger 
Edith  Sherrxll,  teacher 
Mrs.  Lois  Yelton  Smith 
Mrs.  Sarah  Witherspoon  Self 
R.  W.  Whitener,  teacher 

1918 
Leona  Fleming,  teacher 
C.  L.  Lutz,  bookkeeper 
Mrs.  Elsie  Andrew  Paisley 

1919 
Mrs.  Glenna  D.  Lentz  Black 
Mrs.  Jessie  Drum  Adair 
Mrs.  Katy  N.  Moose  Fesperman 
Heath  G.  Gabriel,  bookkeeper 
Mrs.  Willie  Mae  Rhyxe  Gabriel 
Freddie  Hoover,  teacher 
A.  Odell  Leoxard,  minister 
O.  B.  Michael,  minister 
Mrs.  Brema  Sharpe  Lineberger 


Maiden,  N.  C. 
Greensboro,  N.  C. 
Leakesville,  N.  C. 

Lenoir,  N.  C. 


Blowing  Rock,  N.  C. 
Frederick,  Md. 


Charlotte,  N.  C. 

Japan 

Mt.  Pleasant,  N.  C. 

Conesville,  Iowa 

Baltimore,  Md. 

Winston-Salem  N.  C. 

Fairfield,  N.  C. 

Baltimore,  Md. 

Hickory,  N.  C. 

China 


Moorehead  City,  N.  C. 

Hickory,  N-  G. 

Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Newport  News,  Va. 

Shelby,  N.  C. 

Newton,  N.  C. 


China  Grove,  N.  C. 

Charlotte,  N.  C. 

Sedalia,  N*  C. 


Evanston,  111. 

Spartanburg,  S.  C. 

Charlotte,  N.  C. 

Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Newton,  N.  C 

Lexington,  N.  C. 

Winston-Salem,  N.  C. 

Lincolnton,  N.  C. 


Graduates  of  the  College  at  Newton      339 


Mrs.  Christine  Ervin  Mehaffey 
Mrs.  Annie  J.  Little  Peicik 
Felix  B.  Peck,  minister 
Mrs.  Agnes  Andrew  Peeler 
B.  J.  Peeler,  minister 
Mrs.  Mildred  She-brill  Rice 
Carl  Wilkinson,  bookkeeper 
Mrs.  Catherine  Wilson  Wilkinson 

1920 
Clarency  Aeey,  minister 

1921 
Mrs.  Lucile  Andrew  Leonard 
Ed.  Long,  teacher 

1922 
H.  W.  Black,  minister 
Mrs.  Mary  Drum  Collins 
Winnie  Ervin 
Mrs.  Aileen  G.  Jones 
Wilma  Rader,  teacher 
Aileen  Sherrill,  teacher 
Susie  Throneburg,  teacher 
Mrs.  Precyous  Whisenhunt  Dxshazo 

1923 
Mary  Rose  McKnight,  teacher 
Lester  Troxel,  bookkeeper 
Fred  Whisenhunt,  teacher 


Inman,  S.  C. 

Clear  Spring,  Md. 

Clear  Spring,  Md. 

Salisbury,  N.  C. 

Salisbury,  N.  C. 

Indian  Head,  Md. 

Winston-Salem,  N.  C. 

Winston-Salem,  N.  C. 


Weyer's  Cave,  Va. 


Lexington,  N.  C. 
Hickory,  N.  C. 


Evanston,  111. 

Rocky  Mount,  N.  C. 

Newton,  N,.  C. 

Newton,  N.  C. 

Newton,  N.  C. 

Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Newton,  N.  C. 

Claremont,  N.  C. 


China  Grove,  N.  C. 

Winston-Salem,  N.  C. 

Newton,  N.  C. 


APPENDIX  B. 

The  By-Laws  of  Catawba  College 

(Revised  and  Adopted) 

May  19,  1925. 

ARTICLE  I.     MEETINGS. 

Section  1.     Annual  Meeting. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Catawba 
College  shall  be  held  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  on  the 
day  next  preceding  the  annual  commencement,  at  the  hour 
of  10  A.  M. 

Section  2.    Regular  Meetings. 

Regular  meetings  shall  be  held  on  the  third  Tuesday  of 
September  and  of  February,  at  the  hour  of  10  A.  M. 

Section  3.     Notice  of  Meetings. 

Notices  of  all  regular  meetings  shall  be  mailed  to  each 
member  of  the  board  by  the  secretary  at  least  ten  days  prior 
to  the  date  of  such  meetings. 

Section  4.    Special  Meetings. 

Special  meetings  shall  be  called  at  any  time  by  the  secre- 
tary, upon  request  of  the  president  of  the  board,  or  of  three 
members  of  the  board,  or  of  the  president  of  the  college. 

Section  5.     Call  for  Special  Meetings. 

The  call  for  a  special  meeting  shall  state  the  nature  of  the 
business  to  be  considered,  and  shall  be  mailed  at  least  five 
days  before  the  day  on  which  the  meeting  is  to  be  held. 

Section  (i.    Place  of  Meeting. 

All  meetings  shall  be  held  at  the  office  of  the  board  unless 
otherwise  directed  by  the  president  of  the  board,  or  by  the 
Board  of  Trustees.  The  place  of  the  meeting  shall  be  indi- 
cated in  the  notice  or  call  for  the  meeting. 

(340) 


The  By-Laws  of  Catawba  College  341 

Section  1.    Quorum. 

Seven  members  of  the  board  shall  constitute  a  quorum  for 
the  transaction  of  any  business  except  the  election  of  officers 
and  the  amendment  of  by-laws  when  a  quorum  shall  consist 
of  a  majority  of  the  board. 

Section  8.    Rules  of  Order. 

General  parliamentary  rules,  as  modified  by  rules  and  regu- 
lations of  the  board,  shall  be  observed  in  conducting  the 
business  of  the  board. 

Section  9.     Order  of  Business. 

The  following  shall  be  the  order  of  business  at  each  meet- 
ing of  the  board,  but  the  rules  of  order  may  be  suspended 
and  any  matter  considered  or  postponed  by  action  of  the 
board : 

Call  to  Order. 

I.  Roll  Call. 

II.  Consideration  of  minutes  of  last  meeting  and  any 
special  meetings  held  subsequently,  and  their  approval  or 
amendment. 

III.  Election  of  trustees  and  officers. 

IV.  Reports  of  standing  committees. 

V.  Reports  of  special  committees. 

VI.  Reports  of  officers  and  agents. 
VIL  Unfinished    business. 

VIII.  New  business. 

IX.  Petitions  and  communications. 

ARTICLE  II.     OFFICERS. 

Section  1.    Election  of  Officers. 

At  the  annual  meeting,  the  board  shall  proceed  to  organize 
by  electing  by  ballot  the  following  officers  to  serve  for  one 
year,  or  until  their  successors  shall  have  been  elected  and 
shall  have  qualified:  a  president,  a  vice-president,  a  treasurer, 
a  secretary,  and  a  business  manager.  The  president,  vice- 
president,  and  treasurer  shall  be  chosen  from  among  the 
members  of  the  board.  The  offices  of  secretary  and  business 
manager  may  be  held  by  one  person. 

Section  2.    Special  Elections. 

In  the  event  of  a  failure  for  any  reason  so  to  elect  any 
or  all  of  said  officers,  or  in  case  any  vacancy  occurs  in  said 


342  Catawba  College 

offices  from  any  cause,  then  an  election  may  be  held  at  any 
regular  or  special  meeting,  a  majority  of  all  the  trustees  be- 
ing present  and  notice  of  such  eletcion  having  been  given  in 
the  notice  of  the  call  for  the  meeting. 

Section  3.     Duties  of  President. 

The  president  of  the  board  shall  preside  at  the  meetings  of 
the  board  and  shall  discharge  the  duties  which  ordinarily 
pertain  to  that  office.  He  shall  sign  all  diplomas  and  shall 
execute,  with  the  secretary  attesting,  contracts  and  instru- 
ments authorized  or  issued  by  authority  of  the  board  requir- 
ing his  signature. 

Section  4.    Duties  of  Vice-President. 

The  vice-president  of  the  board  in  the  absence  or  disability 
of  the  president  shall  perform  all  the  duties  of  the  president 
of  the  board.  In  the  absence  or  disability  of  the  president 
and  the  vice-president  of  the  board,  the  chairman  or  the  act- 
ing chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Finance  and  Investment 
shall  act  as  president  of  the  board. 

Section  5.    Duties  of  Treasurer. 

The  treasurer  of  the  college  shall  be  the  custodian  of  the 
funds  and  securities  belonging  to  the  college,  and  shall  keep 
the  securities  in  a  safety  deposit  vault  to  be  designated 
by  the  board.  He  may,  by  written  appointment  to  be  filed 
with  the  secretary,  designate  some  persons  who  shall  repre- 
sent him  in  obtaining  access  to  the  securities  of  the  college 
as  herein  next  provided.  The  treasurer  shall  be  responsible 
for  all  acts  of  his  representative. 

The  treasurer  shall  countersign  voucher  checks  on  endow- 
ment funds,  on  funds  for  special  purposes,  on  building  funds 
as  prepared  and  signed  by  the  business  manager.  (See  Art. 
II,  Sec.  7). 

Surety  Bond  of  Treasurer. 

He  shall  file  with  the  secretary  a  bond  for  the  faithful  per- 
formance of  his  duties  of  such  a  sum  as  may  be  fixed  by  the 
board,  and  if  not  so  fixed,  then  to  the  sum  of  Twenty-Five 
Thousand  Dollars  ($25,000)  with  some  responsible  surety 
company  approved  by  the  board,  the  premium  on  said  bond  to 
be  paid  by  the  college. 

In  case  of  the  absence  of  the  treasurer,  or  of  his  inability 
to  act,  or  in  case  the  office  becomes  vacant,  his  duties  shall  be 


The  By-Laws  of  Catawba  College  343 

performed  by  the  chairman  or  acting  chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Finance  and  Investment. 

Access  to  Securities. 

Access  to  the  securities  of  the  college  shall  be  had  by  not 
fewer  than  two  persons  jointly  in  the  following  manner,  and 
never  otherwise: 

(a)  By  the  treasurer  (or  his  representative)  jointly  with 
the  business  manager. 

(b)  By  the  treasurer  (or  his  representative)  jointly  with 
the  chairman  or  acting  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Fi- 
nance and  Investment. 

(c)  By  the  treasurer  (or  his  representative)  jointly  with 
the  president  or  acting  president  of  the  board. 

This  provision,  however,  shall  not  be  held  to  exclude  the 
presence  of  other  persons  at  the  same  time,  providing  access 
has  been  obtained  as  aforesaid,  nor  shall  the  provisions  of 
this  article  be  held  to  prevent  the  Board  of  Trustees  from 
contracting  with  a  responsible  trust  company  to  act  as  cus- 
todian in  holding  and  keeping  safely  said  securities,  and  to 
make  deliveries  on  the  order  of  any  two  persons  entitled  to 
access  to  said  securities  under  this  section. 

Section  6.    Duties  of  Secretary. 

The  secretary  shall  perform  the  usual  duties  pertaining  to 
this  office.  He  shall  keep  full  and  true  minutes  of  all  meet- 
ings of  the  board  and  the  meetings  of  all  standing  commit- 
tees of  the  board,  and  of  such  special  meetings  as  shall  be 
requested  of  him.  He  shall  be  the  custodian  of  all  documents 
entrusted  to  his  care. 

He  shall  transmit  promptly  to  each  trustee  a  copy  of  the 
minutes  of  the  meetings  of  the  board  and  of  its  committees, 
and  he  shall  notify  all  persons  concerned  of  the  actions  taken 
by  the  board  with  respect  to  appointments,  promotions,  term? 
of  service,  and  appropriations  for  their  work  and  depart- 
ments and  of  any  other  matter. 

He  shall  see  that  all  bonds  required  by  officers  and  em- 
ployees of  the  college  for  the  faithful  performance  of  their 
duties  are  filed  in  his  office.  The  business  manager  shall 
furnish  the  secretary  a  list  of  all  officers  and  employees  who 
should  be  bonded.  He  shall  have  the  custody  of  the  corporate 
seal  and  shall  with  it  attest  all  documents  requiring  a  seal. 


344  Catawba  College 

Section  7.    Duties  of  Business  Manager. 

The  business  manager  shall  be  the  chief  business  officer 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  shall  be  the  chief  executive 
head  of  those  departments,  officers,  and  employees  of  the 
college  not  attached  to  the  instructional  staff.  He  shall  see 
that  the  rules  and  regulations  prescribed  by  the  Board  of 
Trustees  for  the  government  of  the  business  affairs  of  the 
college  are  faithfully  observed.  He  shall  have  the  manage- 
ment of  the  entire  college  plant,  and  of  all  property  of  the 
college,  whether  real,  personal,  or  mixed.  He  shall  take  the 
initiative  in  seeking  investments  for  the  funds  of  the  col- 
lege, and  shall  report  promptly  thereon  to  the  Committee 
on  Finance  and  Investment.  He  shall  be  responsible  for  the 
economical  purchase  of  all  supplies  and  materials  bought 
by  the  college,  and  shall  see  that  all  building  and  other  con- 
tracts made  by  the  board  are  faithfully  executed. 

Receipt  of  Funds. 

The  business  manager  shall  collect  and  receive  all  moneys 
arising  from  gifts,  bequests,  or  otherwise,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  college,  and  all  fees  and  money  from  any  source  due  to 
the  college  or  to  any  of  its  departments.  He  shall  deposit 
promptly  all  such  moneys  received  to  the  credit  of  the  col- 
lege in  the  appropriate  bank  accounts  in  such  state  or  na- 
tional banks  as  may  be  determined  by  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Supervision  and  Keeping  of  Accounts. 

He  shall  keep  proper  books  of  account,  fully  setting  forth 
the  financial  conditions  and  transactions  of  the  college,  and 
shall  exercise  a  general  supervision  over  all  accounts  of 
officers  and  employees  of  the  college  which  have  to  do  with 
the  receipt  or  disbursement  of  funds  and  securities  and  he 
shall  obtain  true  and  full  reports  of  all  such  receipts  and  dis- 
bursements from  the  officers  and  employees  aforesaid,  who 
shall  keep  their  accounts  in  such  manner  and  render  to 
him  such  statements  as  may  be  from  time  to  time  required  of 
him,  or  as  may  be  needed  to  show  correctly  the  financial  con- 
ditions of  the  college,  or  any  of  its  departments.  He  shall 
supply  the  board  and  the  committees  and  the  president  of  the 
college  with  such  statements  as  may  be  required  of  him,  or  as 
may  be  needed  to  show  correctly  the  financial  condition  of 
the  college  or  any  of  its  departments. 


The  By-Laws  of  Catawba  College  345 

Examination  of  Accounts. 

He  shall  examine  all  accounts,  claims,  and  demands  against 
the  college,  and  no  money  shall  be  drawn  from  its  treasury 
unless  the  amount  thereof  be  adjusted  and  settled  by  him 
and  found  to  be  within  the  budget  appropriation,  or  provision, 
therefor.  If  he  shall,  upon  examination  of  any  account, 
doubt  its  correctness  or  find  the  appropriation  or  provision 
insufficient,  he  shall  submit  the  account  to  the  Committee  on 
Finance  and  Investment  for  its  decision.  No  money  shall  be 
drawn  from  the  treasury  except  by  checks  prepared  and 
signed  by  him  as  follows: 

Methods  of  Payment. 

(a)  Voucher  checks  on  the  endowment  funds  and  on  funds 
for  special  purposes,  and  on  building  funds,  for  purchases 
and  payments  authorized  by  the  Committee  on  Finance  and 
Investment  or  by  the  special  action  of  the  board,  said  voucher 
checks  to  be  countersigned  by  the  treasurer. 

(b)  Voucher  checks  on  current  funds  in  payment  of  bills 
for  materials  and  supplies,  provision  for  which  has  been 
made  by  the  board  or  Executive  Committee,  approved  by  the 
deans  or  heads  of  departments,  said  voucher  checks  to  be 
countersigned  by  the  president  of  the  college  or  some  person 
authorized  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  to  sign  in  his  place. 

(c)  Checks  on  current  funds  for  salaries  and  wages  as  fixed 
by  the  board  or  the  Executive  Committee,  or  certified  by 
the  directors  of  departments  in  accordance  with  budget  pro- 
vision or  other  appropriations;  said  checks  to  be  counter- 
signed by  the  president  of  the  college  or  some  person  au- 
thorized by  the  Board  of  Trustees  to  sign  in  his  place. 

All  voucher  checks  shall  indicate  the  particular  account  to 
which  the  payments  are  chargeable  and  the  person  to  whom 
they  are  payable. 

Surety  Bond  of  Business  Manager. 

The  business  manager  shall  give  a  bond  in  favor  of  the  col- 
lege for  the  faithful  performance  of  his  duties  of  such  a 
sum  as  may  be  fixed,  and  if  not  so  fixed  then  to  the  sum  of 
'  Twenty-Five  Thousand  Dollars  ($25,000),  with  some  re- 
sponsible surety  company  approved  by  the  board,  the  com- 
pensation of  such  surety  company  to  be  paid  by  the  college. 


346  Catawba  College 

Surety  Bonds  of  Officers  and  Employees. 

He  shall  see  that  all  officers  and  employees  in  all  depart- 
ments of  the  college  having  custody  of  or  responsible  for 
funds  and  securities  shall  furnish  bonds  in  such  amounts  as 
shall  be  determined  and  fixed  by  the  Committee  on  Finance 
and  Investment;  and  it  is  also  hereby  provided  that  all 
premiums  thereon  shall  be  paid  by  the  college. 

The  business  manager  shall  also  perform  such  duties  as 
the  president  of  the  college  or  the  Board  of  Trustees  may 
from  time  to  time  designate. 

In  case  of  vacancy  in  the  office  of  business  manager,  or 
of  his  absence  or  inability  to  act,  his  duties  shall  be  per- 
formed by  the  chairman  or  vice-president  of  the  Executive 
Committee. 

ARTICLE  III,     COMMITTEES  OF  THE  BOARD. 

Section  1. 

There  shall  be  six  standing  committees  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  namely: 

(a)  Executive  Committee. 

(b)  Committee  on  Finance  and  Investment. 

(c)  Committee  on  Instruction. 

(d)  Committee  on  Buildings  and  Grounds. 

(e)  Committee  on  Audit. 

(f)  Committee  on  Budget. 

Section  2.     Appointment  of  Committees. 

The  standing  committees,  other  than  the  Committee  on 
budget,  shall  be  appointed  by  the  president  of  the  board, 
with  the  concurrence  of  the  board,  at  the  annual  meeting,  or 
as  soon  thereafter  as  possible,  to  serve  until  their  successors 
are  appointed.  In  making  the  appointments  the  presi- 
dent shall  designate  the  chairman  and  vice-president  of  each 
committee,  except  for  the  Executive  Committee  and  the  Com- 
mittee on  Budget. 

Section  3.    Personnel  of  Committees. 

Each  committee  appointed  as  aforesaid  shall  consist  of 
five  members  of  the  board,  and,  in  addition,  the  president  of 
the  board  and  the  president  of  the  college  as  members  ex 
officio. 


The  By-Laws  of  Catawba  College  347 

Section   4.     Minutes  of  Committees. 

Record  of  the  actions  of  each  committee  shall  be  kept  by 
the  secretary  of  the  board,  and  shall  be  reported  in  writing 
to  the  board  at  its  next  meeting  for  approval.  A  copy  of  the 
minutes  of  each  committee  meeting  shall  be  sent  promptly 
to  every  member  of  the  board. 

Section  5.     Quorum,  of  Committees. 

Time  and  Place  of  Meeting. 

Three  members  of  any  of  the  foregoing  committees  shall 
constitute  a  quorum.  Meetings  of  any  committee  shall  be 
called  by  the  secretary  whenever  requested  to  do  so  by  the 
chairman  of  the  committee,  by  the  president  of  the  board,  or 
by  the  president  of  the  college.  The  Executive  Committee 
shall  meet  regularly  on  the  last  Friday  of  each  month  at 
10  A.  M.  All  committee  meetings  shall  be  held  at  the  office 
of  the  board,  unless  otherwise  directed  by  the  chairman  of 
the  committee.  The  place  of  meeting  shall  be  indicated  in 
the  notice. 

Section  6.    Duties  of  Executive  Committee. 

The  Executive  Committee  shall,  when  the  bo^rd  is  not  in 
session,  arrange  for  the  execution  of  orders  and  resolutions 
not  otherwise  specifically  committed  or  provided  for.  It 
may  fill  vacancies  in  the  faculty  occurring  during  a  recess  of 
the  board,  and,  in  accordance  with  the  general  policy  of  the 
board,  shall  have  the  care  and  direction  of  matters  pertain- 
ing to  the  welfare  of  the  college,  and  especially  shall  dis- 
charge such  duties  as  the  board  may  assign  to  it  from  time  to 
time.  It  shall  make  formal  report  of  its  actions  to  the 
board  at  its  next  regular  meeting.  The  president  of  the  boar' I 
shall  be  chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee  un'ess  he  finds 
it  inconvenient  or  inexpedient  for  him  to  act.  In  th  t  case 
the  committee  shall  elect  its  own  chairman. 

Section  7.    Duties  of  Committee  on  Finance  and  Investment. 

The  Committee  on  Finance  and  Investment,  acting  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  general  policy  and  under  the  instruction 
of  the  board,  shall  make  or  cause  to  be  made  investments  of 
all  college  funds  available  for  investment.  This  committee 
during  the  intervals  between  the  meetings  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  and  of  the  Executive  Committee,  shall  have  au- 
thority to  change  the  form  of  investments  of  college  funds 
and  to  make  new  investments  in  amounts  aggregating,  but 


348  Catawba  College 

not  exceeding,  One  Hundred  Thousand  Dollars  ($100,000) 
without  the  previous  approval  of  the  board,  and  the  commit- 
tee shall  make  formal  report  of  all  such  transactions  to  the 
board  at  its  meeting  next  following.  No  investment,  pur- 
chase, or  sale  for  the  amount  of  endowment  funds  of  the 
college,  nor  any  contract  concerning  the  same,  shall  be  made 
by  the  treasurer  or  the  business  manager  without  the  formal 
approval  of  this  committee,  which  shall  have  supervision  of 
the  funds  of  the  college. 

Classification  of  Funds. 

The  funds  of  the  college  shall  be  grouped  as  follows: 

(a)  Endowment  funds. 

(b)  Funds  for  special  purposes. 

(c)  Building  funds. 

(d)  Current  funds. 

Hypothecation  of  Endowment  Funds. 

The  endowment  funds  shall  neither  be  expended  nor  hy- 
pothecated for  current  expenses,  but  shall  be  retained  and 
preserved  inviolate.  Investments  of  endowment  funds  shall 
be  made  as  heretofore  provided  by  the  Committee  on  Finance 
and  Investment.  There  shall  be  no  restriction  as  to  the 
kinds  of  investments  which  may  be  made,  except  as  herein- 
after provided,  but  other  things  being  equal,  preference 
shall  be  given  to  securities  issued  by  the  federal  and  state 
governments,  and  to  obligations  issued  by  cities  having  over 
twenty-five  thousand  inhabitants;  to  real  estate  mortgages  on 
improved  property,  preferably  in  the  state  of  North  Carolina 
and  adjacent  states,  but  in  no  case  shall  the  amount  loaned 
on  mortgages  exceed  50  percent  of  a  fair  valuation. 

Certain  Loans  Prohibited. 

No  loan  shall  be  made  to  any  trustee,  officer,  or  employee 
of  the  college,  nor  to  any  religious,  fraternal,  or  charitable 
organization. 

Funds  for  special  purposes  shall  consist  of  all  gifts,  grants, 
donations,  and  bequests  for  special  purposes,  whose  principal 
and  income  may  be  used,  and  shall  be  expended  or  invested 
in  accordance  with  the  terms  of  the  gift. 

Building  funds  shall  consist  of  all  gifts,  grants,  donations, 
and  bequests  for  the  erection  and  equipment  of  buildings,  and 
of  other  moneys  and  properties  appropriated  or  assigned  by 
the  board  of  Trustees  for  that  purpose. 


The  By-Laws  of  Catawba  College  349 

The  current  funds  shall  consist  of  income  on  endowments, 
tuition  receipts  and  other  fees,  gifts,  grants,  or  bequests  for 
current  purposes,  receipts  from  business  and  commercial 
operations  of  the  college,  and  all  other  receipts  for  current 
use. 

Separation  of  Funds. 

Endowment  funds,  funds  for  special  purposes,  and  building 
funds  shall  not  be  deposited  with  or  combined  in  any  way 
with  the  current  funds  of  the  college. 

Section  8.     Duties  of  Committee  on  Budget. 

The  Committee  on  Budget  shall  consist  of  the  chairman  of 
the  four  committees  first  above  mentioned,  together  with  the 
president  of  the  college,  the  president  of  the  board,  and  the 
secretary  and  business  manager,  and  shall  have  supervision 
over  the  bookkeeping  and  the  financial  records  of  the  college, 
and  shall  submit  to  the  board  at  the  regular  February  meet- 
ing for  its  approval  and  consideration  a  budget  for  the  year 
commencing  on  the  first  day  of  the  following  July.  The 
budget  submitted  shall  include  an  itemized  statement  of  the 
probable  income  of  the  college  available  for  its  expenses,  and 
shall  indicate  the  sources  from  which  the  income  is  to  be 
derived.  It  shall  also  give  an  itemized  list  of  the  estimated 
expenses  for  the  year,  showing  in  detail  the  salaries  to  be 
paid  and  the  persons  to  whom  payable,  and  separating  other 
current  expenses  and  expenses  for  books  and  equipment  by 
departments.  The  president  of  the  board  shall  be  chairman 
of  this  committee. 

The  budget,  when  approved  by  the  board,  shall  be  the  au- 
thority for  incurring  expenditures  for  the  departments  in- 
cluded therein.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  president  of  the 
college  and  the  business  manager,  acting  as  a  committee  on 
expenditures,  to  make  distribution  of  such  budget  appropria- 
tions as  are  general  by  authorizing  expenditures  within  the 
limits  of  such  appropriations,  subject  to  the  following  pro- 
cedure: 

Requisitions  upon  authorized  budget  appropriations  shall 
be  made  by  the  administrative  officers  of  the  college  and 
heads  of  departments  for  materials,  supplies,  services,  and 
expenses  before  any  expenditures  are  incurred,  and  shall  be 
sent  to  the  president  and  the  business  manager  for  approval. 
No  requisition  shall  be  approved  which  exceeds  the  amount 
of  the  appropriation  available  without  reference  to  the  Com- 


350  Catawba  College 

mittee  on  Finance  and  Investment.  The  business  manager 
shall  give  effect  to  the  approved  requisitions  either  directly 
or  indirectly. 

Section  9.    Duties  of  Committee  on  Instruction. 

The  Committee  on  Instruction  shall  consider  all  changes 
in  the  instructional  staff  proposed  by  the  president  of  the 
college,  and  shall  make  recommendations  to  the  Board  of 
Trustees  regarding  the  members  of  the  instructional  staff, 
specifying  the  terms  of  their  employment,  in  accordance  with 
the  approved  budget.  It  shall  also  be  the  duty  of  this  com- 
mittee to  examine  the  system  of  instruction,  educational 
management,  rules,  discipline,  and  all  other -matters  pertain- 
ing to  the  educational  problems  of  the  college,  and  to  re- 
port and  make  recommendations  thereon  to  the  board. 

Section  10.     Duties  of  Committee  on  Buildings  and  Grounds. 

The  Committee  on  Buildings  and  Grounds  shall  exercise 
supervision  over  the  care  and  control  of  all  buildings,  grounds 
and  equipment  of  the  college.  It  shall  once  a  year,  or  oftener 
if  necessary,  inspect  said  buildings,  grounds,  and  equipment, 
and  report  to  the  trustees  the  condition  of  the  same,  recom- 
mending such  expenditures  as  in  its  judgment  should  be  made 
to  keep  them  in  good  condition.  Report  of  its  inspection 
shall  be  made  at  the  February  meeting  of  the  board  in  order 
that  its  recommendations  my  be  considered  by  the  committee 
preparing  the  annual  budget.  It  shall  be  its  duty  to  see  that 
the  buildings  and  property  of  the  college  are  adequately  in- 
sured. 

The  committee  shall  investigate  and  determine  the  need  for 
new  buildings,  and  shall  report  to  the  board,  recommending 
suitable  sites.  It  shall  be  responsible  for  the  preparation  of 
plans  and  specifications  of  such  new  buildings  as  the  board 
may  determine  upon;  it  shall  call  for  bids,  and  shall  recom- 
mend to  the  board  for  approval  the  contractors,  who,  in  its 
opinion,  shall  be  awarded  the  contract  for  any  construction 
authorized. 

Section  11.     Duties  of  Committee  on  Audit. 

The  Committee  on  Audit  shall  consist  of  five  members  of 
the  board,  not  including  the  treasurer  and  members  of  the 
Committee  on  Finance  and  Investment,  and  shall  arrange 
for  and  supervise  the  annual  audit  of  the  books  and  securities 
of  the  college  by  a  firm  of  public  accountants.     A  written  re- 


The  By-Laws  of  Catawba  College  351 

port  by  said  committee  of  its  examination  shall  be  made  at 
the  regular  meeting  of  the  board  in  September. 

ARTICLE  iy.  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  COLLEGE. 
Section  1.    Duties  of  President  of  the  College. 

The  president  of  the  college  shall  be  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  ex  officio,  and  shall  be  the  head  of  all  edu- 
cational departments  of  the  college,  exercising  such  super- 
vision and  direction  as  will  promote  their  efficiency.  He 
shall  preside  at  the  meetings  of  the  faculty  and  shall  be  the 
official  medium  of  communication  between  the  faculty  and  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  and  between  the  students  and  the  Board 
of  Trustees. 

He  shall  recommend  to  the  board  through  the  Committee 
on  Instruction  all  promotions  and  appointments  for  the  facul- 
ty. 

He  shall  be  responsible  for  the  discipline  of  the  college  and 
for  carrying  out  all  measures  officially  agreed  upon  by  the 
faculty  concerning  matters  committed  to  them  by  the  board, 
and  for  executing  such  measures  concerning "  the  internal 
administration  of  the  college  as  the  Board  of  Trustees 
may  enact. 

Section  2.    Annual  Report  of  President. 

He  shall  make  an  annual  report  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
the  work  and  condition  of  the  college,  and  from  time  to  time 
shall  give  to  the  board  reports  upon  the  condition  of  the  col- 
lege, and  shall  present  for  their  consideration  such  measures 
as  he  shall  deem  necessary  or  expedient  for  its  welfare. 

Section  3.    Acting  President. 

In  case  of  vacancy  in  the  office  of  the  president  of  the  col- 
lege or  of  the  absence  of  the  president,  or  of  his  inability  to 
serve,  the  board  may  appoint  an  acting  president  of  the  col- 
lege. 

ARTICLE   V.     THE   FACULTY. 
Section  1. 

The  faculty  shall  consist  of  the  president  of  the  college, 
the  deans  of  the  college,  and  the  officers  of  instruction,  classi- 
fied as  follows:  the  professor,  the  associate  professor,  the  as- 
sistant professor,  the  instructor,  and  the  assistant.     Only  per- 


352  Catawba  College 

sons  of  the  rank  of  instructor  and  upwards  shall  be  entitled 
to  vote  at  meetings  of  the  faculty.  Assistants  who  are  ap- 
pointed for  at  least  one  year  may  attend  the  meetings  and 
take  part  in  the  deliberations  but  shall  not  vote. 

Section  2. 

The  faculty  shall  meet  monthly  during  the  college  sessions, 
and  shall  appoint  a  secretary  who  shall  keep  a  record  of  their 
proceedings.  They  shall  make  such  rules  of  procedure  and 
provide  for  such  committees  as  may  be  required. 

Section  3. 

The  faculty  shall  prescribe,  subject  to  approval  by  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  requirements  for  admission,  courses  of 
study,  conditions  of  graduation,  the  nature  of  degrees  to  be 
conferred,  rules  and  methods  for  the  conduct  of  the  educa- 
tional work  of  the  college,  and  shall  recommend  to  the  board 
candidates  for  degrees,  persons  to  receive  the  award  of  fel- 
lowships, scholarships,  and  prizes,  and  candidates  for  honor- 
ary degrees,  and  shall  investigate  all  cases  of  misconduct  of 
students,  or  violations  of  rules  of  the  college  by  students, 
and  through  the  president  and  deans  shall  administer  such 
discipline  as  the  circumstances  require.  They  shall  prescribe 
rules  for  the  regulation  of  student  publications,  athletics,  in- 
tercollegiate games,  musical,  dramatic,  and  literary  clubs, 
and  other  student  affairs. 

ARTICLE   VI.      AMENDMENTS. 

These  by-laws  may  be  amended  or  repealed  at  any  regular 
meeting  of  the  board  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  all  the  mem- 
bers present,  provided  a  majority  of  the  trustees  shall  be 
present  and  participating  in  the  meeting,  previous  notice  of 
the  nature  of  any  proposed  amendment  having  been  given 
at  least  one  regular  meeting  before  action  thereon  shall  be 
taken. 

ARTICLE  VII.  FORMER   BY-LAWS. 
All  former  by-laws  are  hereby  repealed. 


II 


If  III 

lliiif 
111 

■I 

■mm 


111 


H 


Jn 


m 
HI 

Up 

Mil 

hhU 


■ 
■ 


1 

WSm 


I 


